The Testing of Li Peony
by SyaoranSword
Summary: [Complete] Chapter 11: Birthday Wishes is up. It's Peony vs. Sakura. Can Peony defeat the most powerful sorceress in the world, her mother?
1. The Child of Destiny

The Testing of Li Peony: Chapter 1 

The Testing of Li Peony

A CCS Fanfic

by SyaoranSword

Disclaimer: I do NOT own anything related to Card Captor Sakura. CLAMP and other companies I may not know of own it all. This is a fanfic and not part of the "official" storyline. The story is only meant for the enjoyment of the author and any would-be readers.

Notes: I have started on my 3rd series. Too bad I haven't finished any of them yet -_-. It is so easy to _start_ a series. Finishing them is another matter. Of course once an idea has rooted itself in my head and won't let go, I pretty much have to put it down on paper, so I can get continuation ideas. This is **not** a sequel to "Realizations." Sakura and Syaoran are married, but they reside within the Li estate, not Japan as in my other fic. Let's roll the fic!

~~~ (place) ~~~ = scene change

" " = dialogue

[ ] = thoughts

( ) = commentary

Chapter 1: The Child of Destiny

Shrill cries rang out throughout the Li Clan leader's household.

"We need hot water!"

"Ice chips!"

"Towels!"

"… and pudding!" The last squeaky shout came from a certain guardian beast, who was about to feel pain.

A strong hand grabbed Kero-chan and shook him furiously. "How can you think about food at a time like this?!?" The hand belonged to a not-so-little wolf and the leader of the powerful Li Clan.

"You have absolutely no tact Cerberus," commented his black book-reading counterpart, Suppi-chan.

"All this waiting is making me hungry," the diminutive creature gasped out.

"You're always hungry, you poor excuse for a stuffed animal!!"

"Xiao Lang, calm down and let Cerberus go." He instantly released his hold on the now blue-faced guardian. "I know you are anxious, but as the head of our clan you must learn to handle your stress."

The young man knew his mother's words were true. Being the leader, he was not supposed to lose his composure in any circumstance, but how could he when he knew what was about to happen? "Hai, Mama. Forgive me for letting my temper run unchecked."

A small smile played on the old woman's lips, much to Syaoran's surprise. "It should not be unusual for you to be excited in such a time." Though her expression didn't show it, she also was feeling an overwhelming sense of anticipation. Yelan would soon see the first of what she hoped would be her many grandchildren. "If I recall correctly, your father was a nervous wreck when we had our first child." Her son sighed at the mention of his dad, who he never really got to know. She stood up from her seat and approached him. "Xiao Lang, your father would be very proud of you right now."

Syaoran turned his head slightly to look at his mother. He smiled as he answered, "Arigato, Mama."

"Little Brother is so kawaii when he smiles!"

He whirled around and glared at the bundles of energy known as his sisters. "I'm really not in the mood for your teasing, onee-san."

"But it is so true! Our beloved little sister-in-law can make you smile whenever she wants!"

"You're so cute to tease! You were that way when you were our baby brother." 

"And when our certain-to-be-kawaii niece or nephew is born, we'll have another baby to play with!"

Meiling also joined in the teasing. "Just think of how you would look with a baby in your arms, dear Cousin."

The high-pitched giggling that ensued grated on Syaoran's already frayed nerves. He became horrified at the thought of his new child being subjected to his/her five hyperactive aunts (including Meiling). Who knew what they would do? "If you would quit pestering Sakura and me, maybe you would have kids of your own by now." [Then I could finally have a moment's peace in my own house.]

"Oh that's so harsh Little Brother."

"We'll have children too… someday."

"It'll just take a while." 

"But for now, you know how much we love you and your cute little Cherry Blossom."

"And we will simply _adore_ your new baby!"

The giggling started again, causing more than just Syaoran to have a headache. "Oi gaki! Could you please shut the banshees up!!" Touya's head throbbed in pain. The sound of his sister-in-laws' laughter, the thought of his little sister having the Chinese brat's child, and the fact that Nakuru was hanging off of him made him irritable.

"I've tried for over 20 years onii-san. They just can't be stopped."

Touya held out an open palm to the man sitting beside him. "Yuki, my stress ball."

The silver-haired man fished around in his bag and retrieved it. "Here you go Touya."

Syaoran sweatdropped heavily at the sight of his child's future uncle squeezing a stress ball with his face on it. "Eriol-kun and his insane Christmas presents…" he muttered under his breath.

"What did you say about my Christmas presents my cute descendant?"

"Just shut up Eriol-kun, and don't call me that!" The young Li Clan leader was not too thrilled with having his reincarnated ancestor, his wife, and his guardians also waiting with him. In fact, he realized his living room is much too small to entertain everyone already in his house.

"I think you're just a little too nervous Li-kun," Tomoyo said. Her belly showed the telltale bulge of an expectant mother. "I'm sure Eriol won't be as panicked as you are right now when I'm in labor."

"Don't bet on it."

"You should be happy Li-kun. Sakura-san is about to bring another life into this world." The spectacled man had his ever-present smile on his face. "And I'll soon have another cute little descendant to play with."

[That scares me to no end…] His thoughts were cut off with loud cries coming from the room where his wife had been taken.

"Li-san." Syaoran faced the person who spoke. The man's graying hair betrayed his age, but his face still looked like that of the kind father of Sakura. "Go to my daughter. She needs you."

"Hai, otou-san." The somewhat elderly Kinomoto smiled at his son-in-law. Fujitaka became Syaoran's role model for what a father should be, and he accepted the role of being the father he never had. Syaoran bowed to everyone in the 'waiting room' and ran to be with Sakura. He flung the door to the 'delivery room' open.

"Syaoran!" shouted the card mistress, who was surrounded by a flock of maids trained in delivery.

"Sakura!" He went from standing in the doorway to kneeling by her bedside in less than a second. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better now that you're here." She smiled as he grasped her hand. "Feed me an ice chip, Syaoran."

He reached his free hand to a bowl of china filled with ice and held one to his wife's lips. She took it, grazing his fingertips in the process and sending a shiver through his body. "I married an angel. An absolute angel."

Sakura beamed at him. "Sweet-talker. You know I love it when you do that."

Syaoran brushed a few hairs from his wife's face. "I know you do. I just can't tell you how beautiful you look right now koishii."

"Syaoran-chan…" The tender silence lasted for only a moment. "AHHHHHHHH!!!"

"Sakura, I'm right here. Breathe! Breathe!" Syaoran had to choke out his words. His hand felt like it was being crushed in a vice. Even all his training couldn't prevent him from wincing under his wife's iron grip. 

"She's going into labor! Everyone get ready!"

~~~ Waiting Room ~~~

No one spoke after Syaoran left the group. They could hear Sakura's screams, and they knew it would be soon be over. The cries of a woman were replaced by the cries of a baby. Their eyes were fixed on the door where Syaoran eventually walked out with a huge smile and tears in his eyes. He exclaimed, "It's a girl!"

Touya fainted dead away. 

~~~ Delivery Room ~~~

"She's so KAWAII!!" squealed Syaoran's sisters.

"What is her name?" Fujitaka asked while cradling his new granddaughter. 

"Her name is Peony, otou-san. Li Peony-chan," Sakura softly said the name she and her husband agreed on.

"So kawaii! That's Li-kun's favorite flower, ne Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo remembered while busily trying to record Peony and Sakura at the same time.

"It was his favorite… before he grew to love cherry blossoms even more," Meiling said.

"I'm an uncle… I'm an uncle…" Touya kept repeating the phrase over and over again not believing it.

"To-ya, are you ok?" Yuki asked concerned over his beloved's imitation of a broken record. 

"Welcome to our family, Li Peony." Yelan cooed over her granddaughter.

"A new life is born; another destiny will be fulfilled."

"What's that supposed to mean, Eriol-kun?" Syaoran didn't like what the sorcerer said concerning his baby girl. 

"I can't see the future, but I can tell that Peony-chan will be someone very special."

"I didn't need you to tell me that. I already know she's special because she's my daughter."

Eriol smirked to himself. [She is your daughter, but more importantly, she is Sakura-san's daughter as well. That makes Peony-chan very special indeed.]

To be continued…

I wonder why I like to have Eriol give the last word… I guess he gives a very nice touch to the end of any fic ^_^. Two ongoing series means updates will come less frequently for both of them, but I really like the direction both of the stories are going in. Heads up for S+S fans reading EWIATYB, you might not like what's going to happen in the next few chapters. I'm trying to do something no one has done before, and it might upset some people. That's the price we authors pay for originality, so keep an open mind. EWIATYB can and will end with S+S intact. Anyway, read and review please!


	2. Peony's Upbringing

The Testing of Li Peony: Chapter 2 SyaoranSword Normal achow 2 205 2001-11-07T19:32:00Z 2001-11-07T19:32:00Z 5 1676 9557 UMCP 79 19 11736 9.3821 0 0 0 

The Testing of Li Peony

A CCS Fanfic

by SyaoranSword

Summary: Peony is growing up.  Bad things happen to everyone involved… (I am an equal opportunity torturer!  ^_^)

Disclaimer: I do NOT own anything related to Card Captor Sakura.  CLAMP and other companies I may not know of own it all.  This is a fanfic and not part of the "official" storyline.  The story is only meant for the enjoyment of the author and any would-be readers.

Notes: This chapter is a series of scenes leading up to the main story.  Peony-chan will single-handedly humiliate many characters as she lives a definitely-not-normal childhood.  S+S, E+T scenes included for the romance addicts!

~~~ (place) ~~~  =  scene change

" "  =  dialogue

[ ]  =  thoughts

( )  =  commentary

Chapter 2: Peony's Upbringing

Bleary amber eyes watched the microwave timer tick away.  They traveled downward to the little figure curled up in the arms of her pajama-clad dad.  Her bright emerald eyes looked straight into his happily.  He mused that she had inherited at least two of her mother's traits: her eyes, and the effect they had on him.  He just couldn't say no to that shade of green, his favorite color.  Syaoran traced Peony's little cheek with the back of his finger.  His heart swelled hearing his daughter giggle at his touch.

_BEEEEEEP!!_

The signal interrupted the tender moment as the tired father took the baby bottle out of the microwave.  After he tested the temperature, Syaoran let his daughter begin her pre-dawn feeding.  "Drink up Peony-chan, so you'll grow to be as beautiful as your mother."  Her large eyes met her father's soft gaze as she sucked at her bottle.  "You have your mother's looks… I wonder what you got from me…"

"Peony-chan probably got your strength and attitude."

He casually turned his head to see Sakura wearing a pink, lacy nightgown.  "Miss me, Sakura?"

"The microwave woke me up, silly," she sweetly replied as she planted a kiss on his cheek.  Sakura fondly looked at her husband holding Peony and her bottle.  "She looks like me, so she'll be acting like you."

Syaoran raised an eyebrow.  "Is that a good thing?"

Sakura hugged him from behind, placed her head on his shoulder, and whispered, "From what I've seen, it's a very good thing."

"You're biased though," he pointed out.

She nuzzled his neck.  "Mmm, but I know you best, so I'm the best person to answer that question, my little wolf."  At this point, Peony finished her bottle and craned her head back cutely to look for her mom.  Sakura saw this and lifted her out of Syaoran's arms.  She put Peony over her shoulder and lightly patted her back.  The sleepy parents walked back to their bedroom, waited for their little girl to burp, and set her back in her crib.  "Good night, Peony-chan."  Her mother covered her with a blanket and kissed the top of her head.

"Sweet dreams, hime-chan."  (hime-chan means princess)

Sakura and Syaoran watched Peony yawn before their daughter drifted to sleep.  "You know… everyone is right, she is very kawaii," Sakura said softly.

Syaoran reached up and ran a hand through his wife's shoulder-length auburn hair.  "I think it runs in the family."

Sakura couldn't help but smile at her husband.  "So do I."

He grinned as he pulled her close for a short and sweet kiss.  "Come on, we should go to sleep."

The couple climbed into their king-size bed.  Once they had pulled the silk sheets over themselves, Sakura snuggled close to her soul mate.  "Syaoran…"

"Hai, koishii?"

She shifted up against him, knowing he liked that.  "Aishiteru, Syaoran.  I love you so much."

He gently pulled her even closer.  "I love so much too, Ying Fa."

Sakura blushed as she hesitantly asked, "Do… Do you want another baby?"

Syaoran's eyes went wide, but returned to his loving gaze.  "You'd know I love to have another child, but let's wait until Peony-chan grows a little.  Ok Sakura?"

She let her eyes close as she said, "Ok."

~~~~~~

"Peony-chan, this is Kero-chan."

The girl curiously looked at the creature floating in front of her.  "I'm Cerberus, guardian of the Sakura Cards.  Since you're Sakura's daughter, you can call me Kero-chan."

The baby girl reached her little hands out.  "Aw, she wants to hold you."

"Well, I _am_ soft, furry, and _much_ better looking than any stuffed animal."  He flew toward her.  "You can hug me."  Peony grabbed and held him in front of her.  Kero did not like the look in her eyes.  [Uh oh…]  She opened her mouth and closed it over Kero's little head.

"Peony-chan!" her mother shrieked, "You're not supposed to eat Kero-chan!  Spit him out!!"  Peony obeyed her mother, and Kero came out swirly-eyed, his head covered in drool.  "Kero-chan!  Are you alright?"

He stumbled around on the floor while saying, "Babies are deceptive."  He promptly fainted.

"It's a shame Peony-chan doesn't have teeth yet," her father smirked.

"Syaoran-kun!!!"

~~~~~~

"Now Peony-chan, be good for Uncle Eriol-kun and Auntie Tomoyo-chan while we're away."  (Anyone know the Japanese or Chinese words for uncle and aunt?)

"She'll be no problem for us Sakura-san.  You and Li-kun should go if you're going to make it to the movie."

"Bye, Peony-chan!  We'll be back soon."

No sooner had the door closed did Peony-chan pull Eriol's glasses off his face and threw them.  "Peony-chan, that wasn't a nice thing to do."

"Eriol-kun, what hap-"  They all heard a sickening crunch as Tomoyo did not watch where she stepped.  "Oh no!  Gomen Eriol-kun!  I didn't know your glasses were on the floor!"

The sorcerer sighed as he let Tomoyo take the mischievous little girl away from him.  "It's ok.  I can get another pair."

"I have an idea Peony-chan.  Would you like to play with Jin-kun?"  She walked toward their living room.  "Jin-kun, Peony-chan has come over to play!"  Jin had pale skin, black hair, and the blue eyes of his father.  He clapped happily at the arrival of his playmate.  Peony squealed in delight at seeing her friend again.  Tomoyo set her next to her son and let them play with the toys strewn about the floor.  She rushed off to get her camera, seeing how kawaii they looked together.

"Tomoyo-chan, a little help please?"

"Oh gomen!  I forgot you couldn't see without your glasses.  Let's get you to your chair."

She led her husband to his personal chair that he still kept.  He chuckled, "I am blind without your love, my dear Tomoyo-chan."

Tomoyo giggled.  "You're always the charmer, Eriol-kun."  They made it to his chair, where he sat down.  She looked at the kids having fun.  "They really do make a kawaii pair."

"I would agree if I could see them."

"Wait right here."  Tomoyo left him and came back holding her camcorder and his second pair of glasses.  "Here you go Eriol-kun."

"Arigato."  He put them on and smiled at the sight he beheld.  Eriol glanced at his wife with her lens fixed onto Peony and Jin.  He smirked evilly thinking, [My cute little descendant is not going to like what might happen in the future.]

~~~ Training with the Cards ~~~

"Okaa-chan, what does 'Watery' do?"  A few seconds later, Peony's parents were both soaked.

"I think that's enough for today," Sakura said while closing the book.

~~~ At a Christmas Party~~~

"Suppi-chan take a drink!"

"No!  No!  No!"  The guardian cried before Peony dunked him into the punch bowl.  One sip and… "MUST HAVE MORE PUNCH!!!"  He dove back down and became a punch vacuum.

"That's the way to excite Suppi-chan!  Good girl!" Nakuru congratulated her.

"NAKURU-SAN!!  YOU WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO TEACH HER THAT!!" came the angry shout of her master.

"COOKIES!  CHOCOLATE!!  CAKE!!!  I MUST HAVE MORE!!!"

~~~~~~

"You're serious."

"I'm afraid so, Xiao Lang."

"But how is that possible?" Sakura stood by her husband facing the Elders.

"It is written in the stars.  Peony shall be tested before her twelfth birthday to see if she is worthy to be the future leader of the Li clan."

~~~~~~

"Peony, wake up!!"  The girl shifted in her sleep.  "Peony!  I need breakfast!!  You have to wake up so you can cook me pancakes!!"

Her emerald eyes fluttered open to see the golden beast hovering in front of her.  She groaned and rolled to her side.  "Go away Kero-chan.  It's too early."

"But I'm hungry!"

"Go ask okaa-san."

"She's busy with your dad."

Peony understood what Kero meant by that, and she got up in disgust.  [I love my okaa-san and my otou-san, but I think I see them kiss too much.]  It had taken a little while for Peony to see that her parents still looked to be in their mid-twenties… and acted like it too.  She was glad though that her parents still loved each other very much.  "Alright, alright.  I'll make your stupid pancakes."

It was a week before her twelfth birthday, and Peony had grown up to look almost like Sakura did when she was 12.  The only real difference is that Peony preferred her hair long.  The auburn tresses had reached to the small of her back.  She had her mother's looks, but she also evidenced traits of her father.  Peony thought Kero was annoying, Eriol was creepy and evil, and Touya was mean for calling her a little kaijuu.  She grew to like sparring with her dad and learning to control her mom's cards.  What Peony wanted most though was the chance to have true friends.  She did like Jin, but she didn't really get to see him often since his parents ran a fashion business in England.  [Why did I have to be an only child?  I wish I had a little brother, so that I wouldn't have to take my dad's place someday.]

"Can't those pancakes cook any faster??"

"Kero-chan!  Haven't you heard that 'Good things come to those who wait?'"

"But I've been waiting forever now!"

"Hopeless."  Peony flipped the last pancake onto the stack and put the plate on the dining room table.  "Hope you appreciate it, you pig."

"I am not a pig!" he squeaked before greedily digging in.

She shook her head and was going to change when the doorbell rang.  [Who could that be?  All of my aunts moved away when they got married.]  Peony opened the door and there stood the Hiiragizawa family.  "Uncle Eriol-san!  Aunt Tomoyo-san!  Nakuru-chan!  Suppi-chan!"  Her eyes traveled down to meet two soft-blue ones.  "Jin-kun!"  She blushed as she realized she still wore her pajamas.  "Ohayo!  Please come in!"

"Ohayo Peony-san."  Jin had blushed also when he saw Peony in her pajamas.  He looked very much like Eriol except that he wore contact lenses.

Eriol and Tomoyo looked like they hadn't aged at all.  "Where are your parents, Peony-chan?" asked Tomoyo.

"They're… um…"  Peony didn't have to finish her sentence as Sakura and Syaoran emerged from the training room.

"Tomoyo-chan!  Eriol-kun!  You made it!"

"You look as vibrant as ever Sakura-san," Eriol smiled as Syaoran pointed his sword menacingly at him.  "And I see you are well my cute descendant."

"Would you stop calling me that?!"

"Are we interrupting something?"  All of them turned to see Fujitaka, Touya, and Yukito standing in the doorway.

"Don't forget about me!"  Meiling arrived as well.

"Okaa-san, Otou-san, what's going on?  My birthday isn't for another week."  Peony felt uneasy about everyone coming a week in advance.

"This year is going to be different Peony-chan," assured her mother.

"You're going to go through a process that will result in you officially being named the future Mistress of the Cards and the Li Clan."

To be continued…

What's going to happen?  What kind of tests will Peony have to go through?  You'll find out in the next chapter!  Now I just need to know which sounds better: J+P or P+J?  What do you think?  Read and review!


	3. Laying Down the Gauntlet

The Testing of Li Peony

A CCS Fanfic

by SyaoranSword

Disclaimer: I do NOT own anything related to Card Captor Sakura.  CLAMP and other companies I may not know of own it all.  This is a fanfic and not part of the "official" storyline.  The story is only meant for the enjoyment of the author and any would-be readers.

Notes: This is the "setup" chapter.  I need to give a little more information, and then the madness will begin.  Thanks to the few people who reviewed!  Any feedback I get means a lot, and it appears that you think J+P is a good idea.  You guys want it, so I'll give it to you!  Now for my two-month tribute to 9/11: Ready?  Let's roll…

~~~ (place) ~~~  =  scene change

" "  =  dialogue

[ ]  =  thoughts

( )  =  commentary

Chapter 3: Laying Down the Gauntlet

"How long have they been in there?"

Jin glanced at his watch.  "It's been about an hour now."

The two kids sat on the steps to the Li Clan meeting hall.  They were both in ceremonial garb.  Peony wore a cute red Chinese outfit, with white oversized sleeves, and red shoes.  Her hair was done into two buns on either side of her head, held by white ribbons.  (Not a perfect description, but it's the outfit from the manga picture where Sakura and Syaoran are posing in a cherry blossom tree together.)  Jin, on the other hand, wore robes of royal blue, with a hat much smaller than his father's.  Waiting with them were Fujitaka and Touya.  Everyone else was inside deliberating with the Elders.  "I don't see what the big deal is.  Why do I have to go through all of this?"

Fujitaka explained to his granddaughter, "You are the only child of your father, the current head of the clan.  A girl has never been appointed as the successor, but you have been chosen due to unusual circumstances.  The Elders wish to see if you are strong enough, and that is why you undergoing testing."

"But I'm going to be only 12 in a week!  I'm not ready for this!"

Touya rested a hand on her head.  "Sure you are, little kaijuu.  Your kaijuu mom and gaki dad were battling cards when they were 10.  You can do it."

Peony smiled at her uncle.  "Arigato, Uncle Touya-san."  She then stomped on both his feet and kicked his shin, sending him to the ground.  "Don't insult my okaa-san and otou-san, and _don't_ call me 'little kaijuu'!"

Jin and Fujitaka sweatdropped at the sight of a slightly ticked Peony standing over a fallen Touya.  "You will do fine, Peony-san.  You're one of the strongest people I know."

She turned and looked at Jin with sparkling emerald eyes.  "You really think so?!"

A faint blush manifested itself on Jin's pale cheeks.  "Yes… I do."

She smiled at him, "Arigato, Jin-kun!  You don't know how much it means to me to have your support."

"Y- you're welcome," he said with his face darkening and looking off to the side.

Everyone jumped back as the doors to the hall opened.  "Peony, enter," came the order from within.

She looked back at the group of men before crossing the threshold.  The light pouring in from the entry disappeared as the large doors groaned shut behind Peony.  Her eyes adjusted to the darkness illuminated only by candlelit lamp stands on either side of the red carpeting.  The soft scent of incense wafted in the air.  At the end of the hall stood the entire group.  The guardians were in their true forms, and the adults were in full ceremonial regalia.  (Eriol made Tomoyo's robes as a Christmas present.)  Peony heard their discussion as she approached.

"The terms you have laid out seem satisfactory," said one of the Elders.

"However, we are reluctant to accept one of your conditions."

"My wife and I have considered long and hard what our daughter should be subjected to," Syaoran answered, "She will be rigorously tested by those listed.  I have no doubt of that."

"I have complete confidence in Xiao Lang and Sakura," Yelan added.  She was given a seat as an Elder when one had died some years ago.  "My granddaughter will surely be challenged, and I give my approval to this."

Murmurs of consensus permeated the rest of the Elders' discussion.  "It is settled then.  We approve of the rules you have laid out."  The Head Elder looked up.  "Come forward and kneel Peony."  She did as she was told.  "You are about to face a series of trials.  They will determine whether you are worthy of being the future mistress of the Cards and of the Li Clan.  If you succeed, you will be named your father's and your mother's successor.  Should you fail, the role will be passed to someone else.  Your parents will give you the details of this procedure.  Do you understand young Peony?"

"Hai, Elder."

"Rise then.  All of you know your roles.  This meeting is adjourned."

~~~~~~

As the doors to the hall swung outward, Fujitaka, Touya, and Jin watched as the well-dressed group emerged.  "Peony-chan," Sakura called to her daughter, "Go to the training room and wait there for your otou-san and me."

"Hai okaa-san."  She bowed to everyone and turned to leave.

"Peony san!  Would you like me to go with you?" Jin's cheeks held a hint of pink as she smiled cutely at him.

"Sure Jin-kun!"  Peony approached him.  Jin was finding it harder and harder to look at her without having this strange feeling in his stomach.  She stood in front of him and did something Jin didn't expect.  "You're it!" she yelled as she poked his nose and ran away giggling.

He responded to her taunt, "You're not getting away from me!"  The adults and guardians watched in mild amusement as Jin chased the retreating figure.  Sakura noticed her husband and her brother both scowling, and she couldn't help but laugh at the irony of the situation.  [Those two might have something in common after all…]

~~~~~~

The happy laughter of the young friends echoed through the Li's house.  Peony took cover behind the couch as Jin rushed in.  "Where are you Peony-chan?"  She quickly covered her mouth with her hands to stifle her mirth.  Unfortunately, he heard her and smiled his father's evil smile at her hiding place.  He stepped softly.  "Could you be…"  he jumped onto the seat cushions.  "… behind the couch?!?"

"HOEEE!!"  Peony tried to run, but Jin had her around the waist.

"I caught you!"  He spoke too soon.  She slipped easily out of his grasp, and ran to the training room.  Jin followed and shut the door.  "Nowhere to run."

"That's ok.  I'm tired of running anyway."  Peony took a fighting stance.  "Come and get me!"

He looked at her and a sweatdrop rolled down the side of his head.  "Uh Peony-san, you know you are an expert in martial arts.  I wouldn't last a minute against you."

A mischievous smile curled on Peony's lips.  "Then it's you who is trapped Jin-kun."  He panicked and tried to reach the door.  The next thing Jin knew was that he was pinned down to the mats.  "You really should learn to defend yourself."

They heard the door slide open, and there stood Peony's parents.  Sakura and Syaoran blinked a few times before the mother said, "Is everything alright, Peony-chan?"

The children blushed as Peony quickly moved from her position.  "W- we're alright okaa-san.  Jin-kun and I were just sparring."

Her father's cold, hard gaze fell upon the prone form of Jin.  "Since you're finished, please leave the room.  We want to talk to Peony alone."

The boy hastily stood up and retrieved his hat.  "Hai Li-san!"  He bowed to them and hurriedly left.

[Otou-san, I wish you wouldn't always scare off Jin-kun like that,] she thought as her mom and dad sat with her on the matted floor.

"Peony-chan, did you understand everything the Elders told you?"

"Hai otou-san.  What exactly do I have to do?"

"There are seven days before your birthday.  You will be tested on each of those days by someone different.  The tests can take place at anytime, but you will know who your opponent is one hour before you must face them.  The tester is the only one who can judge whether you pass or fail."

"I understand."

"We are proud of you, Peony-chan.  No matter what happens, you will still be our daughter, and we will still love you."

The little girl felt tears welling up as she went to hug her parents.  The touching scene of the family would have been lost had it not been for the camera lens that peeked into the room.

~~~~~~

"Eriol-kun, you outdid yourself this time."  The mistress of the Li Clan looked at where her expansive backyard used to be.  "I didn't know you could create a replica of the Roman Coliseum."

"He's been watching 'Gladiator' again," commented Tomoyo.

Her husband grinned sheepishly.  "It's a great movie, and what better venue to hold the trails than a gladiator arena?"

"You'd better not have lions and tiger pits in there, Eriol-kun."

"Now now, my cute descendant.  You should know lions and tigers and bears are hardly a match for little Peony-chan.  I don't condone cruelty to animals either."

"Then what do you call what you did to Peony-chan's goldfish?" Syaoran accused him.

"Hey!  I thought we agreed to never speak of that again.  It was an accident!"  Eriol calmed down as he threatened, "Mention one word to my little niece and my dear Tomoyo-chan may just find and play the tape of the hot tub incident."

Sakura and Syaoran glowed red as Eriol smirked and Tomoyo said, "I remember that!  It was so KAWAII!  Ohohohoho!!"

The leader of the Li Clan glared at his blackmailer and growled, "Fine!"

His wife rubbed his shoulders.  "Syaoran, calm down.  Relax."  Sakura felt his muscles become less tense as she continued the massage.  "Feel better honey?"  She got a nod and a grunt of approval as she whispered, "Let's finish this later.  We need to get Peony-chan ready."

Syaoran turned around and had his wife in his arms.  He bent toward her ear and softly said, "Every little thing that you do, baby I'm amazed by you… Sakura."  He kissed her tenderly, and she responded in kind.  Both lovers wanted more, but they quickly ended it and looked into each other's eyes, seeing their mutual devotion and love.

"Eriol-kun, you're going to have to build another closet for my tapes."

"Yes, koishii."

~~~~~~

The living room was packed after the banquet.  Everyone felt like taking a nap after eating that much food, but the night had just begun.

"Your testing begins tonight Peony-chan."

"Hai otou-san.  Who will I be facing?"

Sakura answered, "Your first opponent is… Yue."

To be continued…

It's Peony vs. Yue in the next chapter!  Who will win?  Read and review please!


	4. The Final... er, First Judgement

The Testing of Li Peony

A CCS Fanfic

by SyaoranSword

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Card Captor Sakura.  CLAMP and other companies I may not know of own it all.  This is a fanfic and not part of the "official" storyline.  The story is only meant for the enjoyment of the author and any would-be readers.

Notes: Sorry this took so long, but I had to deal with an unpleasant family problem.  Don't worry; it has been taken care of.  Now it is time for the anticipated battle to begin.  Let's get right to it…

~~~ (place) ~~~  =  scene change

" "  =  dialogue

[ ]  =  thoughts

( )  =  commentary

Chapter 4: The Final… er, First Judgement

"Your fist opponent is… Yue."

All eyes turned to the silver-haired and spectacled man as he smiled.  "I'll see everyone in a little bit.  Good luck, Peony-chan."  Yukito waved goodbye as large wings enveloped and transformed him into the moon guardian of the Sakura cards.  The first thing Yue saw as he opened his eyes was the little girl, who very much resembled his mistress at her age.  He had watched Peony grow up through the eyes of his other form, and he remembered their first face-to-face meeting.

~~~ Flashback: Peony at 5 ~~~

It was Christmas Eve at the Kinomoto house.  Fujitaka made final preparations to the dinner he prepared in anticipation of a few guests.  No sooner had he finished perfecting the setting did the tune of the doorbell reach his ears.  "I'm coming!" he called out.  Fujitaka opened the door and was greeted by two smiling parents, each holding a hand of their daughter between them.

"Ojii-chan!!" cried Peony as she leapt into her grandfather's waiting arms.

"Oh, Peony-chan, I've missed you," he responded.  Fujitaka set her down and admired her.  "You've grown up a lot haven't you?"

"Hai, I have Ojii-chan!  Okaa-chan and Otou-chan told me so!"

"That's wonderful."  He took her little hand and led her inside as Sakura and Syaoran followed.  Fujitaka looked towards his daughter and his son-in-law.  "Sakura-san, Syaoran-san, merry Christmas."

Sakura hugged her father.  "Otou-san, Merry Christmas!"

Syaoran shook Fujitaka's hand.  "Merry Christmas, Otou-san."

"Is that a kaijuu I hear stomping around downstairs with her gaki husband?" Touya teased as he and Yukito came downstairs.

"Mou, Onii-chan!  I'm not a kid anymore.  I've been a mother for over five years now."

"Then Peony-chan is going to be a little kaijuu."

"Peony-chan is not a little kaijuu!"  Sakura glared at her big brother.  She would have stomped or kicked Touya, but she didn't want to set a bad example for her daughter.  Unfortunately, it was too late for that.  Peony got out of Syaoran's grasp, went up unnoticed to Touya's leg, and kicked him hard.

Touya winced as he looked down to what caused the sudden pain in his shin.  "I am not a little kaijuu!" Peony cried.

"To-ya, you shouldn't tease Sakura-chan or your niece like that," Yukito said, standing next to his beloved.

"Uncle Yuki-chan!"  Peony happily squealed as she gave him a hug.

"You're getting prettier every time I see you, Peony-chan."

"Yukito-san," Syaoran began, "we have something to ask of you."

He looked up.  "What is it, Li-kun?"

Sakura answered, "We think it's time for Peony-chan to meet Yue-san."  Everyone was silent.  Yukito then began his transformation.

"Uncle Yuki-chan?"  Peony watched in awe as Yue emerged from his cocoon of wings.  "Okaa-chan, is Uncle Yuki-chan an… angel?"

Sakura smiled.  "In a way.  Peony-chan, we'd like you to meet Yue-san.  He is the second guardian of the Sakura cards."

"Yue-san?"

He knelt on one knee to get down to her level and cupped her chin gently in his hand.  "At last we meet, Peony-san."  Yue saw the same warmth and innocence in her eyes as he saw in Sakura.  "It is an honor to see the firstborn daughter of my mistress."

The little girl stared straight into him.  She had never seen Yue before, but she didn't fear him.  Instead, she felt comfortable and secure with Yue.  Peony smiled and chirped, "Konnichi wa, Yue-san!  But… what happened to Uncle Yuki-chan?"

He dropped his hand.  "Yukito is my other form.  He and I share the same body."

"Hoe?" she asked, scratching her head cutely.

Yue had no previous experience with children, and so he was at a loss for words.  His mistress bailed him out.  "Uncle Yuki-chan _is Yue."_

Peony's eyes lit up.  "So can I call you Uncle Yue-san?"

The guardian was a little shocked by her request.  "If it will make you happy, you may."

She jumped up and hugged him.  "Arigato, Uncle Yue-san!"

He hesitated, but eventually hugged her back.  "You are welcome, Peony-san."

~~~ End Flashback ~~~

Yue turned his eyes to Sakura, who nodded her confirmation.  [I do not wish to fight her, but my mistress wills it.]   "Cerberus, have you chosen the next candidate for the mastery of the Sakura Cards?"

The tiny golden creature transformed into his fierce lion-like form.  "Yes, Peony is more than capable of becoming the future mistress."

Yue looked back to the wide-eyed girl standing before him.  "She may be capable, but is she destined?"

"She is," replied Cerberus.

Yue floated inches off the floor.  "Very well.  Peony-san will be tested in… the Final Judgement."

"Hold on!"  Tomoyo wanted to point something out.  "Shouldn't it actually be the First Judgement?"

Collective sweatdrops rolled down everyone's heads.

~~~~~~

At the Coliseum, Yue hovered a few feet off the ground.  His figure was silhouetted against the full moon behind him.  His eyes were closed, and he was concentrating on his task.  The only other person in the deserted arena was his auburn-haired mistress.

"Yue-san, I am your friend.  I understand your feelings," Sakura said.  "You don't want to hurt Peony-chan, and you don't want to have to decide on another master when you still have me, ne?"

He opened his eyes to meet her.  "You know me well.  I felt the same way when Clow died.  Why do you want to put Peony-san through this?"

"I'm not going to be around forever.  I may be more powerful than Clow-san was, but the future is never certain."

"You have Clow's ability to predict the future.  You can know what will happen years beforehand."

"I do have that power… but I choose not to use it."  She closed her eyes.  "No one should know too much about their own future.  Life is more exciting that way, and I love being surprised."  Sakura opened her shimmering emerald eyes.  "If anything ever does happen to me, I don't want to leave you and Kero-chan without someone to love."

Yue flew down toward her.  "Nothing will ever happen to you!  I won't let you die."

She reached out her hand to touch his cheek.  "I know.  Syaoran feels the exact same way, but tell me Yue-san.  If I was gone, and you were given the choice, do you think Peony would be a good mistress for you?"

He flinched at the question.  Yue replied, "She will answer that question, herself."

"Then do your best, Yue-san, so you will get a good answer."

~~~~~~

Peony stood in the center of the training room as her father and the others looked on.  She held the Book of Sakura, and she opened it.  One-by-one the cards floated and hovered around her, as she focused on their magical energies.  After some time, the cards flew back into the book.  Peony closed it and sighed.  "How am I supposed to fight Uncle Yue-san?  He's family."

"Remember what is the purpose of all this," Syaoran said, "You are the one destined to have the cards.  In order to prove that, you defeat Yue."

"You can beat him.  I believe in you, Peony-san," Jin encouraged, faintly blushing.

"We all do," added Tomoyo.

"Arigato, minna-san.  I'll do my best!"  Peony marched out of the house and towards the Coliseum, with everyone else following her.

~~~~~~

Eriol had made a few modifications to the copy of the stadium.  With a wave of his hand, large banks of electric lights illuminated the arena for nighttime combat.  He took his seat with the rest of the group, who were Peony's cheering section.  The Elders sat in a section by themselves, and the Li Clan leaders took their positions in the emperor's box, right above the cheering section.

Peony stood near the center of the field and looked upward toward Yue and the full moon.  She grasped the purple key around her neck and recited her incantation.  "_Key that hides the powers of the moon and the stars, reveal your true form before me.  I, Peony, command you under the contract.  Release!_"  The key became a purple staff.  Inside the winged top ring, a crescent moon was inscribed, and a star was inscribed within the remaining circle.

Seeing that Peony was ready, Yue began his speech.  "Cards created by Sakura, the one who wishes to be your future mistress stands before me."  The cards glowed and scattered around the startled girl.  "Is she worthy of being our future mistress?  I am Yue, the Judge, and this… is the Final…" a sweatdrop rolled down Yue's head, "er, First Judgment."  Everyone sweatdropped and face-faulted.

After recovering, Tomoyo turned to her husband.  "If Peony-chan loses, will the Disaster occur?"

"Hai," Eriol replied, not smiling.

"Peony-san won't lose.  She will win!" shouted Jin.  His cry reached Peony's ears, and she beamed a smile at him, turning his cheeks red.

Syaoran scowled at the sight of his daughter smiling at Jin.  "Aw, how kawaii!" Sakura cooed.

Yue began to form crystals in his hand.  "To win the Judgment, you must defeat me with the cards you possess.  Are you ready?"

Peony drew her first card.  "Hai!"

"Then let the Judgment begin."  He let loose a barrage of crystals, all heading straight for Peony, who stood her ground.

"Shield!"  The protective dome appeared around her, absorbing all of the crystals Yue had fired.  Peony reached for an attack card.  "Fiery!  Trap Yue!"  The flaming spirit emerged and flew to engage the moon guardian.  Yue dodged his aggressor, while holding out his hand to form a barrier.  Fiery tried to break through, but wasn't strong enough.  The angelic being held up his free hand and sliced crystal shots through the spirit, returning it to its card form.  "Hoeee!!"

"A good move, but Fiery isn't strong enough on its own," Eriol said, adding color commentary to the fight.

Yue fired another volley of crystals, but it didn't affect the Shield.  Peony stood underneath and thought hard.  [Fiery was the strongest attack card I could use against Yue.  Now what am I supposed to do?]

"You won't win if you will only defend," reminded the Judge as he formed his energy bow.

[I need to make an attack stronger than what Fiery can do alone.]

Yue formed the companion arrow, and pulled the bowstring back.

[I got it!]

He let the arrow fly.  Peony fell to her knees as the Shield crashed around her.

"Peony-san!!" Jin cried out, fearing the worst.

The arrow landed just in front of her, but she still felt sharp pain from the sudden collapse of her barrier.  Standing up was a struggle, but she rose to her feet and held her staff defiantly in front of her.  "I can do this."  She looked at the two cards she held.  [Oh please, let this work.]  Peony flung the first card.  "Fiery!  Trap Yue!"

[Using the same card?  A poor strategy.] The guardian questioned her actions as he put his barrier up.

She released the second card.  "Windy!  Fan the flames!"

Yue's eyes widened in shock.  "Nani?!!"

In the stands, Eriol smiled.  "Smart girl.  Yue can't reflect Windy because he is preoccupied, and he won't be able to withstand a strengthened Fiery."

The two spirits sped towards their target.  Fiery preceded Windy as they made contact with the barrier.  Yue instinctively covered himself with his wings as they broke through.  He felt like he was being suffocated in an oven within the swirling flames.  The cards retreated, and Yue began to fall.

Peony plucked a card and activated it.  "Float!  Soften Yue's descent!"  A pink beach ball with wings caught the falling guardian, and slowly led him to the ground.  The little girl ran to him.  "Uncle Yue-san!  Daijobu desu ka?"

He managed to get up on one knee.  Amazingly, his hair and his clothes weren't singed at all, and there were no signs of burns anywhere.  Yue looked up to the worried Peony.  [I have lost, again.  I am glad Peony-san has won.  She will make a good mistress.]  "Daijobu."  He stood up.  "Close your eyes."

"Hoe?"

Yue gave a small smile.  "Trust me."  Peony blinked cutely before she did as he said.  "The Judgment is over.  I, Yue, admit my defeat and acknowledge Li Peony as the future mistress of the Sakura Cards."

Peony felt like she was floating.  When she opened her eyes, she stood on what looked like the Milky Way.  "Where am I?"

"It's hard to explain," came a gentle voice.  She looked up to see a smiling ethereal man dressed in wizard's robes.

"Are you Clow-san?"

"Hai.  I've watched you grow up, Peony-chan.  You are certainly a special child.  Congratulations on becoming Sakura-san's successor."  He still smiled as he opened his eyes.  "You still have a little ways to go until you will be truly happy."

"I know.  I have six more tests to go."

He nodded.  "Before you go, keep this in mind.  Your happiness is closer than you think it is."

"Hoe?"

Clow chuckled.  "You'll figure it out.  Farewell, Peony-chan."

She closed her eyes and felt her body float back down to earth.  Peony's foot felt the ground, and she opened her eyes.  She was back in the arena with Yue.  "I did it!" she shouted happily.  Peony looked up and saw her mother and her father standing and applauding.  The cheering section gave her a standing ovation, while the Elders quietly filed out.  Yelan smiled as she left as well.

Peony felt terribly embarrassed as she rubbed the back of her head.  Jin didn't know what came over him, but he jumped over the railing and ran to her.  "Peony-chan!  Daijobu desu ka?"

"Daijobu."  [Did Jin-kun just call me…]  Peony felt woozy and started to fall backwards.  She used too much of her magic.

Jin quickly positioned himself, and she fell right into his arms.  His face quickly reddened, as he didn't know what to do with girl leaning into him and sleeping soundly.  Syaoran left his seat and went down to the kids.  Jin shivered under his glare and stammered, "L- Li-san.  W- would you like to… take care of Peony-san."

The leader of the Li Clan nodded as he lifted the unconscious girl into his arms.  "You did well, Peony-chan," he whispered.  "Let's get you to bed."

~~~~~~

Syaoran closed Peony's bedroom door and headed for his own room.  He entered and found Sakura already changed and waiting for him.  "Peony-chan is fast asleep."

"She was exhausted from the battle," Sakura said simply.

"Were you worried?"

"Worried for my daughter?  Yes.  Worried about the Disaster?  No."

"Same here.  I could never forget you, Sakura-chan."  He pulled her close, covering his wife in his robes.

She breathed deeply in her husband's scent and cuddled closer.  "And I you, Syaoran-chan."

~~~~~~

Eriol and Tomoyo sat curled up together in Eriol's chair.  Nakuru, Spinel, and Jin were upstairs, leaving the two alone in the living room their Hong Kong residence.  They chatted about what took place that night.

"Peony-chan's brave fighting skills were kawaii!  Ne, Eriol?"

"She wasn't just kawaii; she was very impressive.  Did you record the battle, Tomoyo-chan?"

"Of course!  Peony-chan is just as adorable as Sakura-chan!"

"I should review it, because I might be in trouble when it's time for my role."

She twirled a bit of his hair around her fingers.  "That would be fun to watch: the mighty Hiiragizawa Eriol getting whipped by the sweet and innocent little Li Peony-chan.  Ohohohoho!!"

Eriol had a mock hurt expression as he said, "You're not painting a flattering image of my abilities."

"I know, but I will still be rooting for Peony-chan."  She placed her head on his chest.  "Besides, you do enough flattering for the both of us."

He caressed her back through her robes.  Eriol chuckled, "That may be true, but you just flattered me, my dear Tomoyo-chan."

"I did, didn't I?" came her muffled reply.

"Hai, and let me repay you for your gracious compliment."  Eriol pulled Tomoyo up and kissed her with passion.

Meanwhile upstairs, Jin laid on his bed, wide-awake and oblivious to his parents' recently ended conversation.  The young pale-skinned boy had one thing on his mind.  [Peony-san…]  He remembered how he felt when she was sleeping within his arms.  [It felt good to hold her like that.]  He could hear her sweet laughter, and see her bright smile.  [Why do I… keep thinking of her?]  It was driving him crazy.  [She's just a friend… a very good friend,] he thought assertively.  Jin then fell asleep, dreaming about himself and a girl with honey-auburn hair and warm green eyes, running through a field of peony blossoms.

To be continued…

Jin is denying his feelings… for now.  What does Peony think of Jin?  Who is next in the Peony hit parade?  You will find out soon.  Read and review please!


	5. Li Bruce and The Diva of Martial Arts

The Testing of Li Peony

A CCS Fanfic

by SyaoranSword

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Card Captor Sakura. CLAMP and other companies I may not know of own it all. This is a fanfic and not part of the "official" storyline. The story is only meant for the enjoyment of the author and any would-be readers.

Notes: Please forgive me for taking so long to get this out. I'll make a commitment right now to get a new chapter out every week. Thank you to those who have bugged me for the longest time (Urania*Niecy, LeRoy Loke), and I don't mind at all when you do. Feel free to do it when I slack off on my author's duties. I won't be starting any new series until the three I have out are done. One-shots, however, will still be churned out now and then. My plan is to get this done, then go back to EWIATYB, and finally return to the first fic I ever posted, "The Magitech War". On with the fic!

~~~ (place) ~~~ = scene change

" " = dialogue

[ ] = thoughts

( ) = commentary

Chapter 5: Li Bruce and the Diva of Martial Arts

__

"Your happiness is closer than you think."

Peony heard Clow Read's voice. [Where am I?] Clothed in her robes and clutching her staff, she found herself in a place without light. [It's so dark.] She walked for a little bit in one direction. [There's no one here.] Peony shivered as the thought came to her. [Am I… alone?] The one thing that could scare the young girl the most was being alone. "Okaa-san! Otou-san!" she yelled into the darkness. Peony heard only silence. "Is anyone here? Answer, onegai!" She slowly dropped to her knees in despair. Tears formed in her eyes and trailed down her face. "It's true. I really am alone." She sobbed into her hands. "I will always be alone."

"I believe in you." The girl looked up startled. "You are strong, Peony-chan. I know you are."

[That voice… It sounds like someone I know.] "Who are you? Tell me, onegai."

"Never give up hope. Your wish will be granted, and everything will surely be alright."

"My wish? What do you mean?" The voice that had spoken was gone. "Matte! Come back!" she screamed. Kero was jolted awake from his fantastic dream of a mountain made of pudding. He saw Peony thrashing her blankets. Kero wanted to wake her up, but he watched her calm down. She then whispered, "Come back, onegai. Don't leave me."

After hearing that, the little guardian took drastic measures. "PEONY!! WAKE UP!!!" For his trouble, he got slammed into a wall after being accidentally whacked by her frantic movements. "I never learn, do I?" he asked himself as he slid downward.

Peony sat up and eyed the now pained guardian. "Kero-chan! I'm sorry about throwing you into the wall again, but that always happens when you yell to wake me up."

Kero staggered as he got up. After shaking his head, he flew to his future mistress. "Listen, Peony. You were having a nightmare. I was worried, so I did what I had to do."

"Kero-chan, I'm fine."

"You were crying in your sleep. Are you sure you don't want to tell me about it? It could be important for your near future."

"Well…"

"Peony-chan!" her mother called from downstairs. "Breakfast is ready!"

"I'm coming, Okaa-san!" Peony gathered her things and went to the bathroom to clean up.

Kero flew downstairs to the kitchen, where he found a fresh stack of pancakes waiting for him. "Sugoi! You're the best, Sakura!"

"Peony-chan made you pancakes yesterday. Are you sure you're not tired of them?"

"No way! I will never get tired of pancakes!" He took the entire plate and zoomed into the dining room, where everyone was finishing their meal. Kero took a casual look at those gathered before setting his plate down. Just as he was about to dig in, he stopped and took a more careful look around. He knew all of the faces, but Kero was shocked to see someone he recognized, but wasn't there last night.

"Surprised to see me, Kero-chan?" His fiery eyes stood in contrast to his combed, yet somewhat messy black hair. He wore a pair of dark jeans, and a green short-sleeved shirt with a yin-yang symbol on the front.

"Ahh! You!" Kero pointed his paw at the newcomer. "When did you get here?!"

The boy brushed a hand through his hair. "Just this morning, actually."

They were interrupted by Peony, who had just come downstairs. She too was surprised at the newcomer. Peony's eyes brightened as she smiled. "Bruce-kun!" She went over and gave him a hug. "It's been so long."

Bruce is the twelve-year-old son of Li Meiling and Li Tong, an upper level official in the Chinese government. Since the fall of the imperial system, the Li Clan made sure it maintained its ties to whoever ruled China. Tong now serves as the link through which the Clan can influence Beijing, but he rarely has any time to spend with his family. Meiling trained her son in the martial arts, and he even possesses a small amount of magic from his father.

He hugged her back. "I know. How have you been? I heard from my mother you defeated Yue-san."

They released each other. "I didn't want to hurt him, but I'm glad I won."

The two kids didn't realize that Jin watched what went on between them. He tried to shake off the twinge he felt in his heart. [It's natural for cousins to hug like that… right?] Jin's feelings were still unclear to him, but his rationale didn't satisfy his subconscious wish to be in Bruce's position.

From his looks, it is obvious that Jin is the son of Eriol and Tomoyo. Aside from that, it's hard to tell. From when he was younger, Jin picked up neither the "evil" ways nor the obsessions of his parents. He turned out to be a little shy, but he is as much the encourager as his mother. What Jin does not know is his part in his mother's and in his grandmother's legacies.

Peony, Bruce, and Jin were childhood friends who didn't often have the chance to see each other. While Peony stayed in Hong Kong, Bruce was in Beijing, and Jin traveled with his parents to wherever their fashion business needed them. They all met for special occasions, but because of Meiling's close ties to the Clan, she and Bruce would visit whenever they could.

Sakura entered the dining room and smiled seeing Peony and Bruce talking. Seeing his wife, Syaoran stood up and called for silence. He looked directly at his daughter as he said, "Peony, your second test will be in one hour, and it will be against Meiling."

"Hai, Otou-san." Peony sighed. [Now I have to hurt another person I care about.]

~~~~~~

At the Coliseum, Sakura and Syaoran stood on the field with Meiling. The sky above them was a pure bright blue. The air near the ground felt cool and soothing. All in all, the conditions were perfect for the upcoming match. Meiling punched and kicked the air. Her fluid movements were fast and accurate. As she finished a combination, Syaoran said, "You look as strong as ever, Meiling."

"Thanks. I've continued training on my own for years, as you can tell."

Sakura smiled at her longtime friend. "We're both glad you agreed to this. We didn't think the Elders would let you be one of the Seven because of your son, Bruce."

"You know I won't fight unfairly, so my son would become the next leader of the Clan," Meiling replied. "I honestly believe Peony is a great choice. It's about time a woman _officially_ takes the lead." She winked at the couple, causing husband and wife to blush. "That doesn't mean I'm going to go easy on her."

Syaoran nodded. "Peony has had experience sparring with me, but I know it will be much different with you. It should be an interesting battle."

Meanwhile, Peony prepared for her second test. The Hiiragizawa and the Kinomoto families watched as the young girl attempted to land a solid hit on Bruce. She was the aggressor in this exercise, and he needed to deflect any blows directed toward him. Bruce had blocked every punch and kick sent his way, so far. "Come on, Peony-chan! You haven't hit me once yet." No sooner had he said that, she swept Bruce's feet from under him.

Peony quickly pinned the surprised boy to the mats. "You were saying, Bruce-kun?" She smiled triumphantly before helping him up. Jin's cheeks reddened as he remembered how he was taken down by Peony the day before.

"Doesn't Peony-chan look so kawaii with Bruce-kun?" Tomoyo asked while filming.

Eriol nodded. He then said, "That was a nice exhibition. Good luck to you against Meiling."

"Thank you, Uncle Eriol!" She sent a bright smile towards him. Unfortunately for Jin, he was in the way, making him blush.

~~~~~~

The two combatants and the small crowd were in the stadium. It was time for the second test to begin. Peony and Meiling stood within a 10-meter circle drawn into the ground. "The rules are simple, Peony," Meiling explained, "The first one to force her opponent to submit or to go outside the circle wins."

"Sounds good to me." Peony took her stance. "I'm read-" She suddenly felt as though a wet blanket had been thrown on top of her. Peony gasped, instantly recognizing what it was. She looked up to see her parents with reserved looks. They had put a dampening spell on her. It most often was used as a form of punishment, but she understood why it was used right now. The spell didn't weaken her, but it did bind her magic, making her a little uncomfortable. Peony adjusted, and soon she didn't feel the effects at all. The girl resumed her fighting stance. Confidently, Peony called out, "I'm ready!"

Meiling bowed to her. "If you don't mind…" she said as she rose into her position, "…I'll go first!" The older woman charged a startled Peony, who barely raised her forearm in time to block the first punch. Now on the offensive, Meiling sent a flurry of punches and kicks toward the girl.

Peony winced as each hit she blocked inched her backwards, closer and closer to the line. [Aunt Meiling is too fast and hits so hard! How am I going to escape?] The young fighter then remembered a skill taught by her father. She knew it was a big risk, and she would certainly lose if she guessed wrongly. Without hesitation, Peony acted on the gambit.

Meiling expected to have her kick blocked and wanted to follow it with a kick from her other foot. Instead, Peony had caught the first foot, causing Meiling to lose her balance and fall flat on her back. The girl retreated to the center of the ring, giving herself time to catch her breath and rest her stinging shins and forearms. "That wasn't fair of you to charge me like that!" Peony complained.

Meiling quickly got up. Brushing the dust off her robes, she replied, "You said you were ready, and you didn't even bow!" The girl understood what Meiling said was true, and she bowed to redeem herself. The older woman asked, "Shall we?" while taunting her with her hand a la Morpheus to Neo in "The Matrix."

The determination factor inside Peony nearly doubled. She fixed a hard glare towards the one who goaded her on. As the first beads of perspiration dripped off her forehead, Peony set herself and answered, "Yes, let's." Meiling didn't have the advantage of surprise this time as she rushed towards her, and it showed as Peony now traded hits instead of just taking them.

The battle continued with fatigue starting to nag at both combatants. On the sidelines, Bruce sat next to Jin as he remarked, "She's beautiful." Jin looked at him out the corner of his eye. "The way her movements are fluid and full of energy is fascinating. Even the whipping of the ribbons in her hair is enough to grab your attention." The boy with ruby eyes turned to fully face his friend. "Wouldn't you agree, Jin?" The boy flushed and shifted his eyes back to the action.

Peony's perseverance paid off as she dodged a strong kick, catching Meiling off guard. That one mistake was enough to decide the entire match, as Peony used the same move she had used on Bruce and Jin, the leg sweep. Pinning Meiling, Sakura's daughter was triumphant again. "Meiling-obaasan, are you hurt?" Peony asked as she helped her up.

"No, I'm fine." She took a firm hold of Peony's hand and shook it in congratulations. "I made a stupid mistake, and you beat me."

"You could ask me for a rematch… only for fun of course!"

Meiling grinned. "You can bet on it."

Jin just shook his head. "Is there anything she can't do?"

"There are a few things," Bruce answered. "That could all change by the time her birthday comes though."

[How true, Bruce-kun. How true.] Eriol was rather amused at the topic of Bruce and his son's conversation. He turned to his creations, Nakuru sitting somewhat primly with Suppi-chan resting on her lap. "You two are up next." He chuckled as he added, "Make sure to have fun with her."

To be continued…

Peony hung tough and defeated Meiling to pass round two. Up next, it's back to magic usage as she takes on both of Eriol's guardians at once! Who will win? Read and review!


	6. Sugar, Spice, and Everything S+S

The Testing of Li Peony

A CCS Fanfic

by SyaoranSword

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Card Captor Sakura.  CLAMP and other companies I may not know of own it all.  This is a fanfic and not part of the "official" storyline.  The story is only meant for the enjoyment of the author and any would-be readers.

Notes: This is probably one of the cleverest chapter titles I have ever come up with!  You can take it as what Peony is made of, or it could be a metaphor to the next battle (Ruby Moon, Spinel Sun, Peony-chan).  Let's see.  PBJ development, the third test, and some rather interesting conversations among the adults are the highlights included in this long chapter.  Special props to LeRoy Loke for figuring out what was going to happen!

~~~ (place) ~~~  =  scene change

" "  =  dialogue

[ ]  =  thoughts

( )  =  commentary

Chapter 6: Sugar, Spice, and Everything S+S 

"Ow!"  Peony grimaced as ointment was rubbed on her sore arms and legs.  The pungent scent rose into her nostrils, reminding her of the times her mother rubbed medicine to open her nasal passages.

Sakura finished treating her daughter and said, "You looked wonderful out there, Peony-chan.  Now you can take a good long rest."

"But Okaa-san, I'm not tired.  It's not even lunchtime yet!"

"I know, but you should still rest and regain your strength.  The third test won't be until tomorrow, so you should relax.  Kero-chan is already sleeping in the drawer."

"How lazy can he be?"  They laughed quietly together.

Sakura tucked her daughter into bed and kissed her on the forehead.  "Sweet dreams."  The mother left the room and descended the stairs to find no one in the house except for Syaoran.  "Where did everyone go?"

"The Hiiragizawas went home so Tomoyo-san could check on some things.  Meiling and Bruce went out with Otou-san, Touya-san, and Yukito-san."  Syaoran approached his wife with a coy look on his face.  "Everyone is gone.  That means…"

"We're alone," finished Sakura as a seductive smile formed on her lips.  "So… what do you want to do?" she asked enticingly.

"Let's have a little fun."  He drew her into his arms and whispered low and sweet into her ear, "Wo ai ni, Ying Fa."  Starting from her cheek, he trailed tiny kisses down her neck and up to her other cheek.

"Aishiteru, Syaoran," she lovingly murmured against his hair as he finished his journey.  Sakura placed her hands on either side of her husband's face, and she gently lifted it to where she could forcefully press her lips against his.  Their many years together made it plain that both knew exactly how to make the other crazy.  They were about to deepen their bliss when they heard a knock at the door.  Syaoran lingered on Sakura's lower lip, and she giggled after they pulled apart.

"I thought they wouldn't be back for a while," said the annoyed husband whose quality time with his wife was interrupted.

Sakura left a sympathetic kiss on his cheek.  "Later, koibito."  She eased out of their embrace and opened the door.  "Jin-kun!" she greeted the dark-haired boy with surprise.  "What are you doing here?"

Jin could already feel the glare coming from Syaoran as he said, "I wanted to check on Peony-san, and so my parents told me I could go."

"She's asleep, and I don't want you to disturb her," the father coldly said.

"Syaoran, don't you have a meeting to go to?"  Sakura eyed her husband knowingly.

He stared back at her for a few seconds before he answered, "I forgot.  Thanks for reminding me."  Syaoran kissed Sakura and said, "I'll be back soon, koishii," before leaving the house.

Smiling happily, Sakura turned back to a confused Jin.  "You wanted to see Peony-chan, ne?"  The kind mother led the pale-skinned boy up the stairs.  "She may actually be asleep.  I put her to bed not long ago."  Sakura gently opened her daughter's door.  She peeked in and saw Peony resting comfortably.  Sakura whispered to Jin, "Looks like she's sound asleep."

Jin then blushed before he asked, "May I stay with her?"

Sakura was surprised at first, but then warmly smiled and let him in.  "Don't wake her up," she cautioned him before shutting the door softly behind him.

Taking silent steps, Jin made his way to the girl's desk and sat down in the chair.  He watched with soft eyes and red cheeks the sleeping form of Peony.  She looked angelic and peaceful as the blankets covering her chest rose and fell with her rhythmic breathing.  [I could watch her sleep forever.]  He looked down at his feet and blushed at the thought, mentally scolding himself.  He heard the rustling of sheets, and he looked up to see Peony had rolled to her side.  Her face was now fully facing his, and her lips were slightly parted.  Jin immediately locked his gaze on her face.  [The way she's leaning toward me with her hair framing her head… it's as if she's inviting me to kiss her soft, pink lips…]  The poor boy had never turned that shade of red before in his life!  [Why am I thinking like this about her?!]  He buried his burning face in his hands.

Meanwhile, Sakura was downstairs, sitting on the couch and glancing at the clock.  The front door opened, and Syaoran came back in.  She looked incredulously at him.  "What took you so long?"

"I ran four laps around the coliseum."  He took a seat next to her.  "You got me out of the house, so I wouldn't see you let Jin-kun see Peony-chan."

"Hai."  Sakura kissed him on the cheek.  "Arigato, Syaoran."  She snuggled next to him.  "You would do almost anything for me."

He reached behind her back and rested his hand on her shoulder.  "I know, but I still don't see why you like him."

She leaned on him as she responded, "He and Bruce-kun have been Peony's best friends since they were babies.  What I don't see is why you hate him so much."

"I don't… hate him.  It's just…"

"Is it because he's Eriol-kun's son?"

He firmly shook his head.  "Iie.  I still don't really like his father, but that's not it at all."

Sakura started to rub his chest, causing Syaoran to tense.  Her sparkling eyes met his.  "Then what is it?" she asked in her most irresistible voice.

He mused that Sakura had used her charms on him unknowingly when they were young, but now he wondered when she learned to control her 'talent'.  Syaoran sighed.  "I'm afraid of what's going to happen when Peony grows older.  She'll start to become interested in boys, and then…"

Sakura understood completely.  "You're afraid of losing her to someone when she's still so young."  When she saw him nod, she said, "Syaoran, I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but I think you're becoming more like Onii-chan."

His eyes went wide.  "Nani?!"

"Don't you remember about us?  We were in love when we were only twelve years old.  Onii-chan didn't like it one bit, but I could tell he wanted me to be happy."

"It's different.  He's your brother.  I'm her father."

"It's not that different at all.  There will come a day when you'll be leading her down the aisle.  When you give her hand to another who loves her very much, she'll be filled with happiness."

"How do you know?" he asked in a whisper.

She pulled herself up to where her lips met his.  "I know because… when Otou-san gave my hand to you, I was very happy."  Sakura kissed him again, deeper this time.  When they parted, they looked into each other's eyes filled with love.  "And I still am.  Don't you want what we have for Peony-chan?"

He sighed again.  "Someday.  I just wish it wouldn't have to come so soon.  She looks so much like you that I kind of feel like I'm losing you."

"It won't be easy.  Onii-chan was in a funk for months after our wedding, but I'll be here to make it seem not so bad for you, Syaoran."  Together, they enjoyed the silence, until it was broken by another knock.

"Stupid interruptions…" Syaoran growled.  They reluctantly stood up from their comfortable positions on the couch and opened the door to the Hiiragizawas.

"Gomen for disrupting your little moment," Eriol greeted them.

Syaoran glared at him.  "How did you know that?"

"Your face tells all, my cute descendant."

Syaoran muttered something low while Sakura spoke up.  "Tomoyo-chan, is everything set?"

The famous fashion designer seemed to have stars in her eyes.  "All of it will be here by tomorrow night.  That will give me more than enough time to set it up."

"Arigato for going to all of this trouble for us."

"For you, Sakura-chan, it's no trouble at all."

Soon the rest of the people arrived back at the Li house.  "Bruce-kun, could you go upstairs and get Peony-chan and Jin-kun down for lunch?" Sakura asked.  The boy nodded as he left.  She turned back to everyone else with her hands clasped and asked excitedly, "So who wants to help me cook lunch?"

Bruce quietly approached the door to Peony's room before giving it a soft knock.  The door opened, and he was met with a glower from Jin.  Before either could say a word, Peony woke up to see the two boys in her doorway.  "Hoeee!" she screamed, holding her blankets protectively up to her neck.  "Jin-kun!  Bruce-kun!  What are you doing in my room?!"

Both boys flushed red.  Bruce found his voice first.  "We just came up to tell you it's lunchtime.  Jin and I were just leaving."  He had to drag the other boy out who just opened and closed his mouth with no words forming.

Once they had gone, Peony thought, [Mou!  Baka boys!  Although they did look rather cute blushing…]

~~~~~~

Lunch passed very quickly.  The kids ran off to play, since they rarely were all together.  That left the adults sitting around the dining room table, making conversation.  "Tell me the truth, kaijuu.  I've been wondering.  Have you ever been in a fight with the gaki you call a husband?"

Sakura looked at her brother in surprise.  "Of course, and I'm not a kaijuu!  We have fights, sometimes over the littlest of things, but that's normal.  You have fights with Yukito-san, ne?"

Touya was about to object, but Yukito answered for his beloved, "Hai.  We do disagree on stuff, but we're both okay with it."

"Why do you ask, Onii-chan?"

The firm look on Touya's face suddenly softened.  "Every time I have seen you with him, you looked so happy.  I wanted to make sure that it wasn't an act."

Sakura knew how much her big brother cared for her, even if he didn't show it very much.  "Thirteen years together, and still going strong."

Syaoran put his arm around her.  "We couldn't have made it without each other, especially through that huge fight we had during our first few months."

"Huge fight?"  Tomoyo was puzzled.  "You never told me you two had a huge fight during your first year."

"We kept pretty quiet about it.  No one here, except for Meiling, knew," Sakura explained.  "Basically, I decided I was tired of waking up without Syaoran because of his morning exercises.  I started to wake up with him, so we could train together."

"At first, I thought it was a great idea… until we got to the sword fighting.  After becoming used to handling a weapon, she asked to duel with me.  I refused."

"I thought he was saying I couldn't do it, that I wasn't a good enough opponent for him.  Needless to say, I became angry."

"I was scared to death of me accidentally hurting her.  When I thought she got mad at me for no reason, I lost my temper.  We stayed mad at each other for the entire week.  Then one day, I was working my stress out with more training when she came in."

"I picked up a sword, and attacked."

~~~ (Flashback) ~~~

"Sakura!!" Syaoran yelled, parrying a swing from his wife.  "What the heck are you doing?!"

"I'm tired of you not accepting me!  When will you learn not to look at me as if I was a glass figurine?"

Sharp metallic clangs resounded through the room, as the couple engaged in a deadly dance for two.  "You're not a glass figurine!  You're the most powerful sorceress in the world!  But you're also my wife, and I don't want you to get hurt!"

"So you're protective of me."

"I protect you, because I care for you.  I love you, Sakura!  I'm sorry if you feel sheltered, but I am really scared of losing you because of something stupid I might do."

Sakura gasped as the sword in her hand was sent flying.  "You refused to fight, because you didn't want me to get hurt?"

He nodded as he threw his sword to the side.  "Why else wouldn't I fight you?  You are deceptively strong, but it's my fear that kept me from dueling with you."

It was as if they suddenly realized how close they came to losing each other.  Sakura jumped into her husband's arms and cried.  "I'm so sorry, Syaoran.  I should have known."

"I'm sorry too, Sakura."  He made her look up, and they reaffirmed their love with a passionate kiss.

~~~ (End Flashback) ~~~

"The good thing about fights is how sweet it is when we make up," Sakura said.  "A few months later, I found out I was pregnant with Peony."

"And the rest is history," Syaoran finished their tale.

~~~~~~

One day later, Peony stood facing her opponents for the third test.  The long shadows on the ground indicated that it was sunset.  On the other side of the arena, Ruby Moon stood in sunlight, while Spinel Sun was under shadow.  It was going to be a no-holds-barred two-on-one.  Peony had all the cards at her disposal.  The young girl held one she planned to use once she heard whom she was going to face.  [It's definitely not an attack card, but it should work.]  She called out the card's name.  "Sweet Card!  Make Spinel Sun taste sweets!"  The fairy-like spirit flew toward the wide-eyed black panther.

"AAHHHHH!!!  Keep it away!!  Keep it away!!" the guardian yelled while flying frantically away from the Sweet.

Ruby Moon sweatdropped as she watched her hysterical partner.  She should have been paying more attention to the battle, as Peony called for a high-pressure blast of water and sent the moon guardian into the wall.  As for Peony's other opponent, the Sweet was just too fast.  Everyone in the stands ducked as the now drunk flying panther shot powerful blasts from his mouth in every direction.  Peony summoned the Fly and the Power in order to wrestle Spinel to the ground.  The Sweet then continued to force-feed him until he passed out.

"It's safe everyone!  You can come out now," Peony shouted to the crowd beneath their seats.

"That was rather anticlimactic," Tomoyo said.

"Peony-chan knew her opponents' weaknesses.  That's why she won so easily," Eriol explained.  He then shared a smirk with his wife.  "She knows yours too, but it won't help her one bit."

"Ohohohoho!!  She's not going to have an easy time with me!"

To be continued…

What?  Tomoyo vs. Peony?!  Um… this ought to be interesting.  Read and review please!


	7. The Amamiya Legacy and the Passion of Fa...

The Testing of Li Peony

A CCS Fanfic

by SyaoranSword

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Card Captor Sakura.  CLAMP and other companies I may not know of own it all.  This is a fanfic and not part of the "official" storyline.  The story is only meant for the enjoyment of the author and any would-be readers.

Notes: Three months to update… I suck at this, don't I?  Updating seems to be my biggest weakness in writing fics, and I know people have been waiting for this.  Please forgive me!  Maybe that's why my one-shots seem to do better than my series.  Moving on, highlights in this chapter include Jin getting a brief history lesson, Peony taking on Tomoyo (!), and Eriol being evil again.  Served with E+T, enjoy!

~~~ (place) ~~~  =  scene change

" "  =  dialogue

[ ]  =  thoughts

( )  =  commentary

Chapter 7: The Amamiya Legacy and The Passion of Fashion 

Night had fallen over the Li residence.  With a wave of his staff, Eriol repaired all of the damage in the coliseum caused by the battle that ended a few hours ago.  "There you are, Tomoyo-chan.  Everything is back in perfect condition."

"Arigato, Eriol.  Now my people can get their jobs done."

"Since you don't need me right now, I'll be meditating with my cuter little descendant's family."  He left after a short kiss from his wife.

A crew of personnel soon arrived after one call from Tomoyo's cell phone.  They started to busily labor underneath the stadium lights.  The manager of the operation handed her a clipboard.  "Everything has arrived, just as you requested, Hiiragizawa-san."

She flipped through the pages and asked, "When will the photographers be here?"

"Nine o'clock sharp."

Satisfied, she handed back the clipboard.  "Finish setting up, and you can tell everyone to go out and enjoy Hong Kong."

The manager nodded and went back to supervising.  "Come on, people!  We need to get this done tonight!  Let's do what we need to do."

They continued working under the observation of the manager, Tomoyo, and a boy who sat unnoticed at the top of the stands.  Hidden in the shadows and looking down on the activity, Jin sat with his thoughts.  Peony, her parents, and everyone else were meditating.  Touya had to be coaxed by Yukito, but Fujitaka was very comfortable with being on his knees for a long period of time.  When Jin saw his mother and father depart after dinner, he wanted to covertly follow them.  The boy was confused after overhearing their conversation following Peony's third victory.  His mother possessed no magic and no fighting skills that he knew of, so what was she up to?  Bruce had noticed him quietly leaving and asked why he wasn't going to meditate with them, and Jin answered that he needed to be by himself.  The ruby-eyed boy thought he understood and didn't question him further before joining the others.

The young sorcerer now sat alone, saying his thoughts aloud to himself.  "I can't believe what my Okaa-san is doing.  How is Peony-chan going to react?"  He felt the familiar heat rising to his cheeks.  "It's been crazy for both of us these past few days.  You have to go through testing, while I'm trying to figure out what is wrong with me."  Jin looked down to his feet.  "Why do I keep thinking about you?  Why do I feel this way about you?  Why do I… love you?"  There.  He had said it.  True, it was only to himself, but Jin now knew how deep his feelings were towards Peony, the girl he had known his entire life.  The question now in the young sorcerer's mind was, "Why?"

"Would you like to know?"

Jin jumped up in shock after hearing the familiar voice.  He whirled around and saw the one who had listened to his entire introspection.  "Otou-san!"  Eriol sat two rows behind his son, looking directly at his wife with a small smile on his lips, and a gentle gaze behind his glasses.  The boy felt ashamed that his father now knew his deepest thoughts.  "Otou-san, you heard everything, didn't you?"

Eriol turned his head slightly so that he now looked at his son, a strikingly similar image to what he himself looked like at that age.  "Hai, I did.  Gomen nasai for intruding on your privacy, but I have noticed your behavior around Peony-chan change rather quickly."  The father stepped down two levels so that he now sat next to Jin.  "You are confused, ne?"

"I am confused," admitted Jin.  "I know I have cared for her as a friend up until now, but these new feelings are overwhelming.  Did you say you know why I'm experiencing this?"

Eriol's smile broadened.  "I certainly did.  There are two reasons.  The first is because you may be getting a big jump on adolescence."  This left a perplexed look on his son's face.  "Or not.  We'll talk about that later, maybe in a year or two.  The second is the more important reason.  It's the Amamiya legacy."

The dark-haired and pale-skinned boy was even more confused.  "The Amamiya legacy?  What's that?"

Eriol brought out his key.  "It won't help if I explain only with words, so I am going to have to give you an overview of your family history."  He recited his incantation, and the sun staff appeared.  A magical flow surrounded the father and the son, and they were transported out of the coliseum.  They arrived at the rear of the Li mansion, where the mistress of the Cards stood waiting for them and with her star staff out.  "I'm glad you and Jin-kun are here."  Sakura held the Return card between the index and middle finger of her left hand.  "I'll hold the time portal open as long as I can."

"We'll come back as soon as possible, Sakura-san.  I know, as long as it is active, that card will severely drain you."

She nodded before she threw the card upward and raised her staff.  "Return, open a portal in time!"  A dark blue void began to open in the presence of the three there.  The card finished forming the entrance to the past, and Sakura smiled as she lowered her staff.  "I hope you will better understand your feelings, Jin-kun."

The boy was rather shocked that the mother of the girl he loved knew about his feelings as well.  "I hope so, too, Li-san."

Eriol reached down and firmly grasped his son's hand in his own.  "Ready to go?"

Jin looked up at his father.  "Hai."  Sakura watched as Eriol and Jin stepped through the portal together and vanished from her sight.

~~~~~~

Traveling through time was a lot different from what Jin expected.  Everything around him looked exactly the same, emptiness.  He wondered how he could walk when there was nothing beneath his feet, and he wondered how his dad would ever find where they were supposed to go.  The boy looked up to his father, who suddenly stopped and tapped his staff against the ground.  Jin's eyes widened as the scene of a park in spring faded into view all around him, but he didn't have time to take a good look around as Eriol quickly pulled his son towards a large tree.

"Quick, climb up," Eriol directed his son.  The tree had a thick canopy of leaves that concealed them from view, and the dark clothes that they were wearing helped to hide them even better.  They sat on separate branches, yet they were close enough to hear each other's whispers.  "The Amamiya family history is a complicated one, but the event that set all of the future events in motion will happen before our eyes."  Eriol used his hand to push a bit of foliage out of the way, leaving a hole where they could see out.  Two teenaged girls in high school uniforms were walking down the path.

"Otou-san, who are those girls?"

"The one with the really long hair is Amamiya Nadeshiko, and the other is Amamiya Sonomi.  They're cousins."

[Where have I heard those names before?]

The girls were talking and laughing to themselves when Nadeshiko saw a nest of baby birds in the tree next to the one Eriol and Jin were hiding in.  "How kawaii!!"  She immediately went over to the tree and climbed up.

"Nadeshiko!  Get down from there!  It's dangerous!"  Despite Sonomi's warning, Nadeshiko smiled as she petted the chirping birds.

"Don't worry, Sonomi-chan."  Seconds after she had said that, Nadeshiko lost her footing and started to fall.

"NADESHIKO!!"

Jin watched in horror as the young lady fell, but his eyes widened even further when she landed on an older man who held a briefcase.  "Are you alright?" the man asked, despite the injuries he had sustained.

"Yes," she shyly responded.

The man gently smiled as he said, "I thought an angel fell from the sky."

The boy saw her blush, and he also saw Sonomi, who had a scary glare fixed directly on the man who saved Nadeshiko.  "That man… who is he?"

"You don't recognize him?  He is Kinomoto Fujitaka, Peony-chan's grandfather."

"EH?!"  [No wonder he looked familiar.]  "Does that mean… Nadeshiko-san is Peony-san's grandmother?"  Jin saw his father smile and nod.  The boy looked back at the scene.  "What about Sonomi-san?  How is she important?"

"She's your grandmother."

"EHHH??!!"  [That's right.  My grandmother's name is Sonomi, but I hardly see her at all.]

"Although they were cousins, Sonomi loved Nadeshiko more than just as a family member.  The day her cousin literally fell for Fujitaka was the worst day of her life."  Eriol swung his staff through the air, causing another portal to open.  He grabbed his son's hand, and stepped through.

"So Fujitaka-san and Nadeshiko-san are Peony-san's grandparents."

"That's correct.  Sonomi later married and became the mother of your Okaa-san."  Eriol tapped his staff to the ground again.  This time, a classroom appeared around them.  "Concealment," the sorcerer uttered, causing him and Jin to become invisible and not be heard by anyone except each other.  Moments later, the students started to arrive for class.  A girl with long, dark hair and pale skin sat down at her desk.  She opened her school pack and gasped.  "Oh, no!  I don't have an eraser!"

Jin went short of breath as he saw a cheerful and energetic girl with auburn hair and bright-green eyes sit down next to her.  "Ohayo!  My name is Sakura!  What's wrong?  You don't have an eraser?"  She dug in her backpack until she brought out a little bunny head eraser.  "Here," she said, offering to the dark-haired girl, "You can have mine."

"Arigato.  My name is Tomoyo."

"I'm sure we will become great friends, Tomoyo-chan."

The sensei arrived.  Sakura faced the front, but Tomoyo smiled as she continued to look at the eraser in her hand.  She whispered to herself, "Yes, great friends… with Sakura-chan."

Jin was now starting to realize just how complicated the relationships in his family tree really were.  "Otou-san, you can't be serious!"

Eriol raised an eyebrow at his son's outburst.  "Having an epiphany, Jin-kun?"

"My grandmother loved her cousin, Peony-san's grandmother, but she fell in love with Peony-san's grandfather.  My mother loved her second cousin, Peony-san's mother, but she then married you.  So you're saying since I'm Peony-san's third cousin, I can't help falling secretly in love with her, but I'll watch her love someone else?!"

"You got the first part right, but the second part is not certain.  Matters of the heart are very unpredictable.  The only advice I can give you, my son, is to follow what your heart tells you."

Jin nodded at what Eriol told him.  They were suddenly at the Li estate, where Sakura then called back the Return.  "So did you show him everything you needed to, Eriol-kun?"

"Hai, I think he understands.  It's late; we should all get some sleep."

~~~~~~

"Time to wake up, Peony-chan!" Sakura cheerfully said to her daughter.  The girl mumbled something about not wanting to wake up and rolled to her side.  "Your fourth test begins in one hour.  You have to get up now."

Peony slowly sat up in bed.  "Ohayo, Okaa-san," she sleepily said while rubbing her eyes.  "Who am I up against?"

"Your aunt Tomoyo."

"Oh… HOEEE?!?"

~~~~~~

As soon as Peony entered the arena, she knew she was in trouble.  A runway had been constructed, and it faced directly towards her parents' skybox.  "Ano… what's that doing here?"

Tomoyo replied, "That is for you to walk down and model my clothes!"

"You want me to do WHAT?!"

"You heard me, Peony-chan," Tomoyo said, "You are going to be a model for ten hours.  You're going to model the girl's summer line for the photographers."  Tomoyo then turned to the stands.  "Jin-kun!  Bruce-kun!  Will you help model the boy's clothes?"  Finally, she looked up to the skybox.  "And Sakura-chan, Li-kun, you'll model the adult clothes, ne?"

"HOE!  Demo Tomoyo-chan, I'm retired!"

"One more time, onegai?"  

Tomoyo's pleading hit Sakura's sympathy button, and she had to drag her husband down to the field.  The photo shoot went off without any problems.  After the photographers left, all of the participants were tired out.  "You were all great.  Arigato for helping out!"

"So that's it?" Peony tiredly asked.  "I passed?"

"Hai!  Congratulations."

~~~~~~

"That was very nicely done, my dear," Eriol complimented his wife and kissed her deeply.

"I thought so, too.  It was kind of funny how you refused to battle Peony-chan if I wasn't a part of it."  Tomoyo giggled as she played with the buttons of her husband's shirt.

He lovingly stroked his wife's dark hair.  "And you did your part well, giving Sakura-san's daughter a test of endurance.  Now it's my turn."

"This is going to be different than the time you tested Sakura-chan.  This time, your opponent knows exactly who you are."

Light glinted over Eriol's glasses and over a pair of sapphire eyes that radiated evil, in a good way.  "Does she really?  I think not.  But even if she does, this will be fun.  It's been a long time since I've had a good wizard's duel, and I know Peony will not disappoint me."

Tomoyo gently made Eriol face her.  "That's not until tomorrow, Eriol-chan.  How about if I don't disappoint you?" she purred.

To be continued…

Four down, three to go!  Hmmm… who could the last three be?  It should be pretty obvious.  Come on, it can't be that hard!  Next up, Peony faces the first of what I like to call the Big Three, Eriol Hiiragizawa (also known as Satan by her father!)  The first tests were just a warm-up.  Now, she will have her powers stretched to the limit.  Read and review please!


	8. No Stuffed Animals For You!

The Testing of Li Peony

A CCS Fanfic

by SyaoranSword

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Card Captor Sakura. CLAMP and other companies I may not know of own it all. This is a fanfic and not part of the "official" storyline. The story is only meant for the enjoyment of the author and any would-be readers.

Notes: Two weeks… at least it's better than three months. As always, a "thank you" to the reviewers. Important note: my e-mail has changed! You'll see it in my author's profile, but here it is anyway: I am now syaoransword42@yahoo.com. This chapter contains the awaited match between Peony and Eriol, as well as a few other surprises. Let the evilness begin…

~~~ (place) ~~~ = scene change

" " = dialogue

[ ] = thoughts

( ) = commentary

Chapter 8: No Stuffed Animals for You!

Midnight is usually a good time for people to be asleep… except for graveyard-shift workers, late night Hong Kong clubbers, and a certain reincarnation of a powerful wizard, when he feels like it. This night, however, was not one of those nights, thanks to his dear wife. Instead, there was another group of people who were literally burning the midnight oil.

"I call this meeting of the Li Clan Elders to order. Our meeting tonight concerns the testing of Li Peony. What are the views as to how this procedure is being handled?"

One of the relatively young members stood up. "Besides the previous trial, I believe the girl's skills are being strengthened, but it is still not enough. She needs to be pushed harder."

Yelan responded, "She will. The last three will see to that."

"I, for one, find it difficult to believe that she is the chosen one to lead after her father," said another.

"We have examined the star charts countless times. There is no other explanation for what they tell us."

"Actually…" Yelan began, "… I would like for us to view the charts again."

"For what reason, Yelan? Do you think there is something we have overlooked or misinterpreted?"

"It is certainly possible."

"You may be the honored mother of our Xiao Lang and also one of the Elders, but accusing us of not being able to properly read a star chart is intolerable!"

"Enough," the head Elder said in a voice that echoed through the chamber. "Yelan had already spoken about this matter to me beforehand. Between the days is the most favorable time to read the stars, and that is what we shall do."

The scrolls were unrolled, and many Elders expressed surprise at what they saw. "The charts… they've changed!"

"Even the stars aren't immutable. Why do you think the future is any different?" Yelan asked rhetorically.

"But what the charts say now… it's impossible!"

She smiled as she read the signs. "We shall see."

~~~~~~

"Your wish shall be granted, and everything will surely be alright."

"Who are you? What wish?"

"The wish that has been hidden in your heart for a long time."

"Hidden in my heart? What does that mean?"

"Peony…" the figure said as it faded.

"No, not again!"

"Peony…"

"Come back!"

"Peony… wake up!"

"Hoe…" the young girl groggily said as she realized her mysterious dream had ended. "Who-"

"OHAYO!!!" shouted Kero-chan as he flew right in front of Peony's face.

"HOEEEEE!!" she screamed while flailing her arms, sending the small guardian straight into the wall. "Kero-chan!"

~~~~~~

"Are you sure you can handle being home alone?" Syaoran asked his daughter.

"I won't be alone, Otou-san. I have Bruce-kun and Jin-kun to keep me company."

Sakura grabbed Syaoran's wrist. "Come on, koibito. They'll be fine. You promised to come shopping with me today."

"But do they have to come along as well?" he motioned towards the group.

"We're not always going to be together like this, Li-kun," said Tomoyo. "We might as well make the most of the time. Besides, how can I pass up an opportunity to go shopping with Sakura?"

Syaoran just sighed. "We'll be back soon. You know what to do. Just stay within the mansion grounds."

The three kids watched everyone leave. Peony then turned to the two boys. "So what do you want to do?"

Jin was about to suggest something, but Bruce stepped in. "Sparring?"

"Sounds good to me," Peony cheerfully said as she headed for the training room.

Jin glared at Bruce. "What was that for? You know I can't spar worth anything!"

"What are you so worried about? Are you afraid of what Peony-san might do to you?"

Jin looked away as he blushed. "No."

"When are you going to tell her?"

The boy looked at Bruce questioningly. "Tell her what?"

"Bruce-kun, Jin-kun, what's taking so long?" Peony called to them from down the hall.

"We're coming. We're just discussing something," Bruce answered. Peony shrugged as she went back to the room. He turned back to Jin. "You'd better tell her soon."

A very confused Jin followed Bruce into the training room.

~~~~~~

"Good evening, my cuter little descendent and my dear half-granddaughter." Chuckling to himself, Eriol asked, "Shall we start your test?"

Peony stood with her star and moon staff while in a fighting stance, glaring at her opponent across the arena. "I'm ready!"

Magical energy flowed around the sorcerer as he raised his staff. "Rain of terror!"

The girl didn't stand a chance. She was almost instantly buried in a pile of stuffed Pikachus. (disclaimer The electric rat is owned by Nintendo. /disclaimer)

"Eriol, quit fooling around!" Tomoyo yelled from the stands. "Do the test like you're supposed to do!"

"As you wish, my lovely Tomoyo-chan." The dirty rodents disappeared, leaving a very mad Peony. "Well, my cuter little descendent, all you have to do is defeat me. Sounds simple, doesn't it? There's just one little detail that will make this difficult. The attack cards are ineffective against me. Your mother knows that from experience."

Peony sweatdropped. [Oh, great. I won't be able to use the cards at all.] "That's fine with me. I'll still beat you, even if I don't have any weapons."

"Well, not quite." Eriol held his hands out, and three lights began to form in front of him. When they dimmed, three baseball-sized glass orbs, each with a different colored flame appeared. The flames were red, green, and blue. "You may use these against me." The spheres floated over to Peony.

"What do they do?" she asked as she tucked them into her robes.

"That's for you to find out." Eriol tapped his staff against the ground, and his form began to shift. "Well, let's begin." Instead of one Eriol, there were suddenly many Eriols forming a circle around the surprised Peony. "Which one is the real me? You had better find out soon."

The girl rolled away from a blast of energy that narrowly missed her. She quickly fished the blue sphere out, and threw it at one of the images. Peony watched as it went clear through the body and exploded in a flash of blue fire. She suddenly felt cold in her left leg. Looking down, she found her leg had turned blue! "I can't move my leg!"

"That's what happens when you miss. Try not to, okay?"

Gritting her teeth, Peony hopped to avoid incoming attacks. She took out the red sphere and threw it. This one missed as well. The same coldness gripped Peony's right leg, which had turned red. Being unable to move her legs, the girl was pretty much helpless.

"One last chance. You had better use it before I decide to finish it."

[Focus, Peony. Find his aura.] She closed her eyes, and sensed a rapidly moving energy. [Alright, he's moving very fast. How am I going to hit him?] Peony brought out the green sphere, and studied it. She suddenly got a crazy idea. [I have to time this.] Holding the sphere in front of her, she threw it straight up into the air. When it came back down, she swung at it with her staff. The orb was sent flying and exploded upon impact. The light from the explosion caused everyone to be momentarily blinded.

When they opened their eyes, the arena contained one Peony breathing heavily on her knees, and one Eriol, who was completely encased in green ice. Syaoran had to laugh when he saw the frozen magician.

To be continued…

I'll be going to Freeport for one week starting 6/3/02. Lucky me! So don't expect a response or an update for a while…

We are getting down towards the end! Peony only has two more tests to go. If you thought this one was hard, you haven't seen anything yet. Next up is Syaoran! Let's see how the daughter versus father battle goes. Read and review please!


	9. A Father and His Daughter

The Testing of Li Peony

A CCS Fanfic

by SyaoranSword

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Card Captor Sakura. CLAMP and other companies I may not know of own it all. This is a fanfic and not part of the "official" storyline. The story is only meant for the enjoyment of the author and any would-be readers.

Notes: After a nice long hiatus, I have returned. If you look in my bio, you'll notice that I have actually put info on the status of my fics, so you can check there for updates. My email has changed again, and it's on the bio page as well. Having dispensed with that, prepare for a fierce battle, Li Peony vs. Li Syaoran…

~~~ (place) ~~~ = scene change

" " = dialogue

[ ] = thoughts

( ) = commentary

Chapter 9: A Father and His Daughter

"He got what was coming to him, that's for sure," Syaoran said as he and Sakura walked down the stairs to the stadium floor.

"Syaoran, that's not very nice. You shouldn't laugh at Eriol-kun just because he got beat by an eleven year-old girl."

He smiled broadly at his wife. "Look who's talking. You were eleven when you defeated the one formerly known as Clow Reed."

"That was different!" she protested. "I didn't hurt Eriol-kun at all, and I didn't do it by myself. Kero-chan and Yue merged with the staff." Sakura eyes glistened. "And of course, you helped me. The thought of not being able to see you again hurt so much that I gave it my all. We broke the darkness together."

Syaoran nodded as he reached back for his wife's hand. "I still cherish that moment, one of our first memories."

Sakura gently smiled as she accepted his grasp. "The first of many we've made over the years… and those we've yet to make."

The couple stepped into the arena and traded loving gazes as they made their way toward the now frozen Eriol Hiiragizawa. Those that were in attendance, minus the Li Elders, crowded around the iced Englishman and the panting Peony. When the two finally arrived at the scene, Sakura knelt next to her daughter and whispered, "You had me worried there for a minute, Peony-chan, but I am glad you're all right."

Syaoran felt his heart swell as his daughter hugged her mother. [Two girls who have changed my life for the better.] He turned his sight toward the magician encased in a block of green ice. A smirk formed on his lips. The smirk became a full-fledged grin. He strode up to the solid sorcerer so that they were face-to-frozen face. "Didn't think my daughter could do it, did you?" He laughed out loud. "This is great! After years of enduring your schemes against me and Sakura, you are finally put in your place!"

Minutes later, Syaoran finished his taunting and looked around to see everyone with sweatdrops. "Are you finished venting against my husband, Li-kun," Tomoyo asked with a giggle. "I know you had over 20 years of frustration built up against him, but this is surprising, especially from you."

Shocked and slightly embarrassed by her father's ranting, Peony wisely decided to not say anything. Sakura, on the other hand, did. "Syaoran, do you think Eriol-kun can hear you from inside there?" She pulled out the Firey card from the Sakura book (which seems to prove that Clow Read either couldn't spell or was too lazy to spell check). "I don't want you to get hurt if he is going to hold what you said against him."

"We don't _have_ to unfreeze him, do we?" asked her hopeful husband.

"If we don't unfreeze Eriol-kun, then Tomoyo-chan won't be happy. And if Tomoyo-chan isn't happy, I'm not happy." Sakura turned on the puppy eyes and the cute pout. "And you don't want me unhappy, do you Syaoran?"

"Or to put it another way," Tomoyo began her devious line of reasoning, "If Sakura isn't happy, then you won't be happy. I will guarantee you that."

The man quickly became very uncomfortable from the two women on either side of him. [This is not fair. Not only does Sakura turn me into mush, but Tomoyo, who is married to the creep, makes veiled threats against me that she can and most likely will carry out.] Assaulted on both sides, Syaoran allowed his wife to melt the magician.

"Firey card, melt the ice surrounding Eriol-kun!" The card transformed into its blazing form and began to circle the green ice. In a matter of seconds, a dripping wet Eriol returned to the unfrozen world on his knees. Firey stayed close to the reincarnation of its former master, so as to quickly dry him.

"Thank you, but that won't be necessary," he said while waving the spirit off. It understood and bowed to him before reassuming its dormant card form. Eriol raised his eyes to meet those of his conqueror. A gleam of light passed across his glasses as the now fourth-most powerful sorcerer in the world smiled. "Well done, Peony-san. I'm afraid I have lost all possibility of having any kind of fun with you in the future."

The little girl just grinned. "As long as you don't make me mad, then you can still have your fun."

Eriol snickered. "That's very gracious of you, my cuter little descendent."

Peony's cheeks reddened ever so slightly. "You're welcome, Uncle Eriol."

"See, she doesn't mind me calling her my cuter little descendent. So why do you so vigorously object to my name for you, my cute little descendent."

The Li Clan leader scowled at him. "I'll gladly put you back in a frozen tomb if you don't shut your mouth!"

"Hoe, not again," sighed Sakura as she watched the two grown men engage in a war of words.

Tomoyo sighed too as she continued to record every moment. "Aren't family gatherings wonderful?"

~~~~~~

"The latest reports indicate that the typhoon will make landfall over Hong Kong tomorrow afternoon," announced the weatherman on TV. Earlier that morning, a level one typhoon warning was issued through the appearance of a blue 'T' on the lower right corner of the screen. An upside-down 'T' now signaled that the typhoon warning was at level three. "It is advised that all ships be securely docked and that citizens stay indoors wi-"

The television was clicked off. There was no need to listen to the rest of advisory. "Tomorrow will go as we planned," Syaoran stated as he tucked a pink card into his robes.

"Pardon my asking, but did either of you have an influence over this?" Eriol directed his question to his descendent and his half-daughter.

Sakura shook her head. "No, we didn't cause this storm or alter its path. It was going to pass through here whether we had predicted it or not."

"That's good," Eriol responded with relief. "I would have questioned the method of testing if it would have unnecessarily put other lives in danger."

Syaoran nodded as he drew his wife a little closer to himself. "We have spent months making sure that what we were doing was the right thing to do. Now that there are only two days left until Peony's twelfth birthday, the responsibility has returned to us."

"We are the last two our daughter will face. Syaoran goes tomorrow, and I will go after him." Sakura closed her eyes in delight as she leaned closer to her husband. "Even if we have prepared for this in advance, not everything is working out to what we predicted… and that makes me glad."

"Sometimes the paths we envision for our children are not the most beneficial," Yelan said. "Although we try as hard as we can to hold onto them, they must become their own person. For Peony, the time for her to do so is quickly coming."

Meanwhile, Jin reclined outside against the trunk of a tree. He gazed up at the stars and let his mind wander back to that very brief exchange with Bruce. [What does he want me to tell her? Does he know about my feelings? Well, what about him? Doesn't he love her, too? Doesn't she love him?] His train of thought only made him even more frustrated. "What am I supposed to do?" he said to himself. "I'm cursed to love and lose. There's no way around it." Jin sighed as he spotted a particularly bright star. "All I can do is wish for her to be happy forever. I guess that will have to be my happiness as well."

"Hey! What's with the angst? It's making me sick!" Jin looked straight up in surprise to see Bruce sitting on a branch above him.

"Can't someone have a moment alone anymore?" Jin asked incredulously. "What are you doing up there?"

"Looking for you, of course. We have a conversation to finish." Bruce pushed himself off the branch and landed in front of Jin. "I want you to tell her."

"For the last time, tell her what?"

Bruce grabbed the front of the other boy's robes. "Do you think I'm blind, Jin-kun? I see the way you look at her. You need to tell her about your feelings. She just won't understand unless you tell it to her face."

Jin looked darkly at the boy. "And what about you? What about your feelings? Better yet, what about her feelings? She sure seems to like you."

"Of course, because I'm family. Distant family, but that's beside the point. It's in her personality to like people, and just because she likes me doesn't mean she doesn't like you."

"You didn't answer my first question, Bruce-kun. What do you feel for her?"

Bruce's grip on Jin's clothes loosened. "I'll admit I love her… but only as a brother to a sister." Jin gave him a look of disbelief. "It's true. I don't have any romantic feelings for Peony." Bruce forced a laugh. "And to think the Elders are actually considering me to be first choice for her future husband. It's tragic." Bruce released his hold on the other boy. "Now you know why I'm pushing you to her. Do you remember the wish you made just now? I want it to come true as well, and you are the one who will do it."

Jin was floored by what he had just been told. He had been given the chance to make his feelings known to the girl he loves. One thing still nagged him, though. "What if she doesn't return my feelings?"

Bruce only sighed and said, "I know it's easier said than done, but that's a risk you have to take."

~~~~~~

Syaoran watched his daughter enter the darkened arena. Peony looked up in surprise at her father, who stood atop a solid column of stone. The typhoon's strong winds caused his wet sleeves to violently flap against his body. Lightning flashed and the sound of thunder rumbled as he reached into his robes. Peony gasped as he pulled out a Sakura card. Syaoran uttered its name, "Earth Card."

The ground shook as several more columns slowly rose out of the floor of the coliseum. The pillars were cylindrical in shape and had varying heights, with the shortest one being ten feet tall. When the card was finished with its work, Syaoran flung it to his waiting wife, who was alone in the skybox. She skillfully caught the car between her middle and index fingers.

The leader of the Li clan turned to the girl on the ground. "Come up here," he called to her. Calling on the Jump Card, Peony leaped up onto the column next to her. She saw her father across the expanse at about the same level as she was. Syaoran spoke again, "Do you remember the 'pillars exercise', Peony?"

His daughter shifted to her ready stance and responded, "The one who falls to the ground first loses."

Syaoran took his sword from the sheath on his back, "That's right. On the next flash of lightning, we will begin."

Both Lis gave hard stares as the rain continued to fall, and the tension mounted. Down below, everyone else waited with umbrellas, raincoats, and waterproof spells. "This is crazy," Touya began, "I can somewhat understand the previous ones, but now the little kaijuu has to fight her own gaki of a father?!"

"This is how things must be, Touya," Fujitaka answered. "Peony-san must prove that she is more powerful than Syaoran-san."

"Don't doubt Peony-san's abilities," Eriol added. "She has trained all her life, just like her father." He then said as an afterthought, "And if you think this is bad, just wait until tomorrow."

Touya gave a sideways glance towards the cryptic spell caster. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"You'll see, half-son of mine," Eriol snickered.

"Oi! Don't call me that again!" Touya fumed as almost everyone around him laughed at his expense. However, their lightheartedness ended as the dark, cloudy sky was illuminated by a searing bolt of electricity. The sixth test had begun.

By the time the accompanying thunder was heard, both fighters had already closed the distance between them. Peony had left the Jump Card active while using the Sword Card to match her father's weapon. Quick strikes and parries were traded in the air each time they passed each other, neither wanting to stay too close to the other. Syaoran jumped away from his daughter as he called for his signature attack, "Raitei shourai!"

Lightning struck where Peony was standing before she leapt away to dodge her father's attack. A radiating ring of charred rock surrounded where a small amount of smoke rose from the point of impact. Syaoran stood back and called down more thunderbolts, each one hitting just after Peony had jumped away. He then paused, surprising Peony, who thought she would have to dodge another strike. Instead, Syaoran made lightning hit where his daughter was about to land. Peony had one foot on solid rock when the bolt landed in front of her. She screamed as she shut her eyes and fell off the pillar.

Jin cried out in shock, "PEONY!!"

The girl's eyes snapped open upon hearing her name being called. She quickly dispelled the Jump and Sword Cards, and she pulled out one card that could save her. "Fly!" As soon as the wings magically appeared, she slowed her descent until she had stopped just centimeters off the ground. Peony gave a sigh of relief. "That was close." She stayed close to the ground as she thought and flew at the same time. "Otou-san isn't playing around. I have to get him to stop using his element attacks." Peony had an idea. "As long as he can see me, he can just use lightning all day. But what if he can't see me?"

Syaoran saw his daughter fall off the column, and he quickly hopped over to look down. Peony was nowhere to be found. [That's no surprise. I felt her use her magic, but where-]

"Cloud Card, release!" The space between the pillars filled with a dense fog. No one could see anything in the stadium that was below the top of the lowest column.

Syaoran countered with an ofuda. "Kashin!" The continuous downpour of rain had no effect on the stream of fire that burned up Peony's cover.

Unfortunately, his move came too late. Peony had gotten behind her father in time to execute her own attack. "Windy!" Syaoran turned around only to face strong gusts, in addition to the ones caused by the typhoon. The powerful winds and the slippery surface of the pillars helped cause Syaoran to be shoved off his perch.

He would not be beaten so easily, however. Placing another ofuda on the broadside of his blade, Syaoran faced the orange-yellow paper toward the ground and shouted, "Wind, come forth!" The burst of air kept him from touching down and, with a little more power, propelled him upward to safety.

Syaoran aimed his magic at Peony, causing her to be blown back. The wings disappeared as she set her feet back on a column. [I can't take much more, and Otou-san doesn't look tired at all.] Soggy and nearly exhausted, Peony opted to retreat. The girl hopped from pillar to pillar, away from Syaoran, and stopped at the one closest to the skybox. Once there, Peony held a card up in the air. [I have to end this before my strength has run out.]

The mistress of the cards and of the Li clan smiled, knowing exactly what her daughter was planning, but despite her expression, Sakura felt her emotions breaking. On one hand, she was glad her daughter had become so strong. Peony would have no trouble handling her duties. On the other hand, it pained Sakura to put Peony in situations where she could be seriously hurt. Not only that, she has had to go against her friends and her family. [You are going through something worse than I did at your age. I know you'll forgive us, but I'm still sorry about this, Peony-chan. After tomorrow, it will be over, and you will be given a choice. I'm sure you'll know which is the right one.]

Syaoran was caught off guard as Peony called on the card's power, "Mist!" The green mist poured out of the card and onto the stadium floor, where it pooled into a corrosive fog. Just like what happened at the Cinderella play, everything that came in contact with the mist was steadily being eaten away.

"The Mist Card?!" Eriol had not expected Sakura's heir to actually use this strategy. He urgently made everyone abandon the seats close to ground level and move up. The Li Elders discreetly did the same.

"A bold gambit," Yelan said of her granddaughter's move as she sat back down.

Syaoran could already feel the pillars losing their stability, and he knew they would inevitably fall. Peony had practically set a time limit for the remainder of the battle, and this dramatically shifted the advantage to her, because she had ways of staying in the air. It's true that he could use an ofuda with the power of wind to keep himself aloft, but it would be very taxing. All he could do now was to try and keep the stone column under his feet from toppling over.

The pillars began to fall away, one by one. Only the ones with Peony and Syaoran on top remained when the Mist Card was restored to its inactive form. Father and daughter looked at each other a final time before their own columns finally gave way.

Syaoran leaped from his spot, pulled an ofuda out, and used its magic to keep him above the floor. His body remained parallel to the ground while using most of his concentration to keep the wind blowing. Peony also leaped very high, with the Jump Card's assistance. It was impossible for Syaoran to turn his head around to see what Peony was doing. Otherwise, he would have seen her raise her staff above her head with both hands. On her way down, she swung downward, forcefully clubbing her father in the back.

The unexpected blow caused Syaoran to let go of his sword, and his means of staying in the air. He struggled to open his eyes, as that last strike had really hurt. When he could see, he knew he had lost. Off to the left of where he was going to land, he saw the unmistakable pink beach ball with wings, better known as the Float Card. The Li clan leader knew that he wouldn't be too hurt because of how high he was, but he still didn't like the sight of the fast approaching ground.

~~~~~~

Syaoran was disoriented as he awoke in his bedroom. As he sat up, he noticed his wounds had been bandaged up, and he felt stiff all over. He rubbed a sore spot on his lower back. [My daughter earned a well-fought victory. I just didn't realize how much I would suffer for my role.] Falling back to the cozy mattress, the defeated Li Clan leader realized that there was no one else in the room. He was about to get out of bed when the door was opened.

"Otou-san!!" Peony cried, seeing her father awake. She quickly ran to the side of the bed and gave him a hug. Her tears soaked the blanket as she let out her emotions. "Oh, Otou-san! I'm so sorry for what I did! I shouldn't have hurt you so much! You could have died!"

Syaoran shed an unnoticed tear as he comfortingly patted the little girl's back. With a soothing voice, he calmed her down. "Shhh. It's all right. Don't blame yourself. I'm fine." Peony pulled back a little to see her father's kind and smiling face. "See," he said while gesturing to his bandages. "I wasn't going to die, Peony-chan. It would have taken a lot more than that."

Peony sniffled. "But still, I did this to you."

"Peony, think back to when you were just learning how to use a sword. Do you remember that one time where you accidentally wounded me?"

His daughter nodded. "That was my fault, too," she noted sadly.

"No, I was careless. I really underestimated how much you had learned. I may have been hurt, but wounds do heal over time. My point is, Peony-chan, that everyone will have pain in their lives. It is inevitable. But if you treat the pain and give it time, it will heal." Syaoran smiled as he said, "Please remember that no matter how much you may hurt me, you're still my daughter, and your Okaa-san and I will always love you."

"I will. Arigato, Otou-san." She gave Syaoran another hug before quietly heading back to the door. "Have a good nap!" she called out to him before leaving.

He shook his head while grinning at the evidence of his daughter's childishness. Syaoran had lain back down when he heard the door swing open again. He sat up just in time to see Sakura use her foot to close the door behind her. "Ohayo, koi. I hope you're hungry," she said, gesturing to the tray in her hand that was made to serve breakfast in bed.

"Aww, you know you didn't have to do this, Sakura."

She giggled. "You tell me that every time I do something for you, and yet you still let me do it."

"It's because I know you like to do it." He grinned. "It's because you love me."

Sakura set the tray down on the bed. Her face was very close to his. Their breaths mingled as she whispered, "No… it's because I _really_ love you." She kissed him so that his head was pressed back into the pillows. Sakura lifted her lips from her husband's, so as not to disfigure the mattress. "I made you your favorite."

Syaoran had a look of surprise as she lifted the metal lid off the covered plate. "Chocolate chip pancakes!" he breathed in awe. He then looked at the steaming green mug that accompanied the dish. "Is that what I think it is?" His wife nodded as he took the cup in his hands and inhaled the familiar, yet extraordinary scent. "Honey milk," Syaoran sighed in appreciation.

Sakura took a seat in a chair by their bed. "Otou-san always said there was something about honey milk that helped sick people feel better. He once joked about it being magic."

Holding the mug up, her husband responded, "The only thing magical about it is the one who makes it."

Sakura couldn't hide her blush. "Oh, stop it!"

"No, I'm serious. I have tried many times to duplicate your honey milk," he paused to take a sip and to give a satisfied sigh, "But it never tastes exactly like this."

"Syaoran, it's an easy recipe, and you're a great cook. How can you not create the same taste?"

Sakura's husband simply smiled as he reached out and entwined his fingers with hers. "I just explained it, koishii. There's an extra ingredient that only you could add: your love for me. Thank you."

She gave a gentle squeeze as she responded, "You're very welcome." After a brief pause of adoration, she added, "You should eat your breakfast… unless you need me to feed you."

Syaoran set his cup on the tray and picked up the silverware. "It's tempting, but I think I can manage. Thanks for offering, anyway." He cut the pancake and placed a piece into his mouth. "I married the best pancake maker in the world."

Sakura spent the next hour lovingly watching her husband savor the breakfast she made for him.

To be continued…

The series is winding down! Only two chapters left, and one final challenge for Peony. She faces off against the most powerful sorceress in the world, also known as her Okaa-san. But before the last battle, Peony will learn the real truth behind why she is going through all of this in the first place. How? With the same card Sakura used to learn the truth about Clow Read. And what's a third cousin in love supposed to do when a second cousin gives him the OK? Find out in the next chapter, "The Secret of Sakura and Syaoran." See you then!


	10. The Secret of Sakura and Syaoran

The Testing of Li Peony

A CCS Fanfic

by SyaoranSword

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Card Captor Sakura. CLAMP and other companies I may not know of own it all. This is a fanfic and not part of the "official" storyline. The story is only meant for the enjoyment of the author and any would-be readers.

Notes: What is it with me and long down times? Oh, well. I blame it on school. I haven't been totally idle on my writing, though. That original story in anime/manga style I told you about has been outlined for three chapters, so far. The working title is 'My Other Self', and I hope to have the first chapter posted by summer. Any beta readers would be greatly appreciated and duly credited. That's enough shameless plugging from me. Now for all those who have patiently waited, here is the tenth chapter, in which Peony learns the truth behind her testing…

~~~ (place) ~~~ = scene change

" " = dialogue

[ ] = thoughts

( ) = commentary

Chapter 10: The Secret of Sakura and Syaoran

"Poor Otou-san." Peony looked back to the door to her parents' bedroom. "If I had to do that to him to win, then what will happen when I face Okaa-san next?" Her eyes began watering as she imagined hurting her mother. "I don't want to hurt anyone, but I have to. Why do I have to be the one that is going to be the next leader?" Overcome with emotion, she went into her room, fell down onto her bed, and cried.

Bruce and Jin had come upstairs in time to see Peony hurry into her room and close the door. The boys approached, then, at Bruce's prompting, Jin knocked. "Peony, it's us. Do you want to talk?"

The door opened to reveal a sniffling Peony with wet cheeks. She stepped aside to let them in before she closed the door again. "Bruce-kun, Jin-kun, I don't know if I can face my final challenge: my mother."

"We don't know that for sure, Peony-san," Bruce tried to reason with her, but she just shook her head.

"It has to be her. I know because she and my dad are the ones who have taught me almost everything I know. I have already beaten Otou-san, and now I have to beat Okaa-san." Jin handed a tissue to the crying girl, which she gratefully accepted to blow her nose. "I just want to know why I have to do this."

Bruce thought for a second and came up with a possible solution. "Have you asked your grandmother? She might know your answer."

Peony wiped her eyes as she tried to put on a happy face. "You're right. Grandma Yelan would know! Thank you, Bruce-kun." The girl gave him a hug before she trotted downstairs and found who she was looking for. "Grandma Yelan, I have a question."

The former Li matriarch answered, "You want to know why you must face your parents. Is that correct?" Peony nodded after being amazed by her grandmother knowing her question. "I'm afraid I can not tell you, Peony. That is something only your parents should reveal to you."

Visibly disappointed, Peony thanked Yelan before going back to her room. "Grandma Yelan wouldn't tell me. She said it was something only my mom and dad can answer. But that's strange. Why would they keep secrets from me?" The three pondered the question until Peony spoke again, "I have to go back."

"Back? Back where?" Jin asked.

"Back to the past. I have to go back to when my parents decided all of this. There has to be a reason why they want to test me."

Bruce asked, "How are you going to go back to the past?"

"With this." Peony held up the Return Card.

"Peony, you know that card takes too much energy to use," Jin reminded. "And what about everyone here? They will immediately sense strong magic and we'll get in trouble for letting you do it."

"I'm willing to try, anyway. Just seal this room and no one besides us will know what I'm doing." The girl summoned her staff and touched the card to it. "Return! Take me back to the time when I will find my answer!" After a few seconds, Peony realized nothing happened. "Return!" The card still would not activate. "I can't give up. Return!" No matter how hard she tried, the card remained dormant. "Please. I want to know why my parents are hiding something from me."

Suddenly, a card from the Sakura Book was released. The three were awed by the spirit that stood before them. "Peony-chan, your parents love you very much, and they wouldn't want to hide anything from you."

Peony softly said its name, "Hope."

"Yes, I am the Hope Card, the last card made by Clow and the last card sealed by Sakura. Return won't activate because you do not have the necessary skill or the energy to use it properly. However, I will help you."

The girl gave Hope a big hug. "Thank you so much."

The spirit smiled as she took the Return Card into her hand. "Please, I ask of you to fulfill our little mistress's wish." The card seemed to respond by glowing and then forming a dark blue portal. Hope looked at Peony. "Be careful, little mistress," the spirit said before returning to the book.

Peony stepped up to the gateway to the past and turned back to Bruce and Jin. "I won't take long. Just stand outside my door, and tell everyone who asks that I'm sleeping."

"Be careful, Peony," Jin said as he and Bruce went out to stand guard.

"I will and thank you." With a deep breath, Peony closed her eyes, stepped into the portal, and vanished.

~~~~~~

When Peony opened her eyes, she saw that she was in a bedroom similar to her own. The only difference she could see was that this room was unused. The closets were bare, and the bed sheets were still brand new. There were no decorations to speak of either. It was also nighttime. "Must be a guest room," she quietly said to herself. Peony creeped over to the door and opened a slight crack. The hall was deserted. "Good. Everyone's asleep." She stepped out and closed the door silently behind her. Peony suddenly heard another door close behind her. Knowing she had been caught, she quickly turned around to a sight that gave her a shock. Green eyes met green eyes. In front of Peony stood a younger version of her mother.

Sakura blinked a few times after seeing a girl who very much resembled herself at a tender age. The girl also seemed to have an aura that was half-green and half-pink. Sakura's eyes widened. That could only mean one thing. "Peony?" The girl was stunned. "It is you, isn't it? You're my daughter from the future."

Peony found her voice, "Don't be mad, Okaa-san."

Sakura's expression turned very warm. "Why would I be mad, Peony-chan? You came here for a very important reason, didn't you? Let's go outside to talk."

The two went into the moonlit courtyard, where Peony told Sakura everything that had happened to her. "I don't know what to do, Okaa-san. I don't want to hurt you, but I have to if I want to fulfill my duty. Do you know why I have to do this?"

The future mother of Peony looked sadly at her. "I'm sorry, but I don't know the answer. You probably went back too far. There is something I can do to help though, Peony-chan. As your mother, you probably have heard me say it before. You have to remember that 'Everything will surely be all right'. I have lived by that statement through all of the tough times I have had. As long as I did my best and believe in it, things have worked out."

Peony let Sakura's words sink in. It was true that she had heard that saying from her mother before. Now, after hearing it again, she would trust in it. "Thank you, Okaa-san. I will do my best." After that, Peony disappeared from Sakura's sight.

~~~~~~

Peony watched as her parents entered the dark room. After her conversation with her mother, Peony had found herself inside the Li Clan meeting hall, where it seemed like a meeting was about to take place. She did her best to hide her presence in the darkness, and since no one seemed to be looking at her, she was successful.

"Now that Xiao Lang and the Ying Fa have arrived, we may begin the discussion," the head Elder announced.

"With all due respect," Syaoran spoke, "I don't see why this subject can't remain private between me and my wife."

"As leader, you have a responsibility to produce a male heir with your wife. The fecundity of Ying Fa is of vital importance to the clan."

"The truth of the matter is that since the birth of Peony, Ying Fa has failed to conceive, and we believe we know why."

The head Elder unfurled a star chart. "From our readings of the celestial bodies, the Card Mistress is entitled to give birth to only one child in her lifetime. Based on this premise, no male heir will ever be born to you. Given this unusual circumstance and Peony's great potential as the daughter of both you and the Card Mistress, we have made the unprecedented choice of considering her as the heir to the leadership of the clan." Peony sucked in her breath. This was the answer she sought.

"You're serious."

"I'm afraid so, Xiao Lang."

"But how is that possible?" Sakura stood by her husband facing the Elders.

"It is written in the stars. Peony shall be tested before her twelfth birthday to see if she is worthy to be the future leader of the Li clan."

Peony ignored the rest of what they said as she was shaking from what she had found out. "So that's why. Okaa-san can't have anymore babies. I'm the only child my parents will have, and because of that, I have to prove that I can be the one to lead after Otou-san. My parents want me to succeed, even if it means they will be hurt in the process."

~~~~~~

Outside the door to Peony's room, Bruce and Jin tried to act casual when they were in reality standing guard. Their attention was shifted when Sakura quietly left her room and went toward Peony's room. She smiled at them as she said, "Bruce-kun, Jin-kun, I would like to see my daughter, please. Would you let me in?"

"We would," Bruce began, "But she's sleeping."

"Oh, it's okay. I just want to check on her." Unable to delay her, the boys tentatively let her open the door. They looked in to see Peony asleep in her bed. Bruce and Jin were surprised and relieved that she had made it back in time. Seeing that Peony would be fine, the boys left to let her rest. Sakura knelt next to the bed and let her hand rest on top of Peony's head. "You will need all the rest you can get. Just remember what I told you, Peony. Everything will surely be all right." She gave her daughter a kiss on the cheek before she stood up and went to the pink book resting on the desk.

Sakura picked the book up and carried it with her as left her daughter's room. She walked down to the training room, where she opened the clasp of the book, and let all of the cards float up and circle around her. "Today is the day Peony will be challenged by me. You have been my friends ever since I became your mistress, and I am asking you one last time if you are willing to do as I have asked."

Two of the cards glowed brightly before their visible forms appeared in front of Sakura. Light responded, "We speak for the rest of the cards when we say that we are willing. We love both you and your daughter, and we understand your purpose."

"My sister is correct," Dark added, "Our little mistress has shown us the same kindness as you given us. Her heart is strong enough to overcome the adversity she will encounter."

Sakura softly smiled as she said, "Thank you." Light and Dark reverted to card form, and all but five of the cards returned to the book. The remaining five flew to Sakura's waiting hand. "You are the ones who carry the heaviest burden. I am glad that you have so much trust in me. Thank you once again." The cards were tucked into her robes as she went upstairs to leave the Sakura Book on Peony's desk.

To be continued…

You know what's coming next, don't you? Peony's last test is against Sakura, and she may be in for a surprise. What does Sakura plan to do? What will happen afterwards? The last chapter: Birthday Wishes is next! All comments and criticisms are welcome and appreciated.


	11. Birthday Wishes

The Testing of Li Peony

A CCS Fanfic

by SyaoranSword

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Card Captor Sakura. CLAMP and other companies I may not know of own it all. This is a fanfic and not part of the "official" storyline. The story is only meant for the enjoyment of the author and any would-be readers.

Notes: This is it, the final chapter! The only person standing in Peony's way is her mother, the most powerful sorceress in the world. It is going to be tough, but Peony knows she has to fulfill her destiny, because there is no one else who can…

~~~ (place) ~~~ = scene change

" " = dialogue

[ ] = thoughts

( ) = commentary

Chapter 11: Birthday Wishes

"Your wish shall be granted, and everything will surely be alright."

"Who are you? Could you tell me, please?" Peony asked. She couldn't make out anything more than the figure's outline in the darkness.

"You will know soon, Peony-chan. Until then, don't give up hope. Do not be afraid. I will be with you."

"But who are you?"

"Trust in your friends. They have helped you in the past, and they will help you now."

"My friends? Do you mean Bruce-kun and Jin-kun? How will they help?"

"Peony… it's time to wake up." The young girl found herself in her bed, with her mother gently shaking her. Peony sat up and rubbed her eyes as her mother told her, "You already slept for a long time. I want you to be awake and alert for your last test."

"How long did I sleep for?" Peony asked as she turned towards her clock, sitting on her nightstand. She yelped in surprise as she noticed it was almost dinnertime. The setting sun outside her window confirmed the time. "I slept that long, and I missed lunch?!"

"You must have been very tired. I am glad though that you got the rest that you needed, and dinner should give you the energy for later. Now, let's get you ready."

~~~~~~

Peony would have enjoyed dinner much more if her worrying over the last test didn't hang over her head like a cloud. She knew her mother was her final opponent, but her mother also was filling her rice bowl with the best portions from the dishes on the table. [There is no way I can hurt Okaa-san. I love her so much.] Peony didn't eat much that night before she asked to be excused. Trying to find a place to be by herself, Peony entered the training room. "Can I really do this?" she asked herself. A moment later, she answered, "I don't know what will happen, but I know it will be alright."

The door opened and Bruce and Jin stepped into the room. "I figured you would be in here." Bruce asked, "Still having second thoughts about this?"

Peony shook her head. "A little. I will do my best, because that is what my Okaa-san wants. It's going to be hard facing her alone."

"You're not alone, Peony-san. Everyone is cheering for you," Jin replied.

"And we will be with you," Bruce added.

"Right, just think of us as right beside you."

"You can do it, Peony, because it's you."

The girl felt much better after being reassured by the two boys. She gave each of them a hug as a show of her thanks, leaving Jin rather flushed.

~~~~~~

"This is it, then," Syaoran said as he stood with Sakura, caressing her cheek.

"Yeah," she responded. Their loving gazes said much more to each other than their words.

"Be careful, then."

"I will." Satisfied with her answer, Syaoran kissed her and made his way up to the skybox. Elegantly clad in her pink ceremonial robes, Sakura looked up at the clock of the modernized arena. The time, displayed in bright digits, was 10:45 PM. In fifteen minutes, Sakura would begin Peony's last test. The young woman thought back on how it wasn't too long ago when Peony was just learning about the cards.

~~~ (Flashback) ~~~

"Wow, it's so pretty! It even has Okaa-chan's name on it!" A four-year old Peony had just received her first look at the Sakura Book. Her parents had been very careful to keep it out of the little girl's reach while she was younger. There was no telling what could have happened had she accidentally summoned a card's power at her age.

Sakura thought that Peony was old enough to know that her parents could use magic, and so could she. "Yes, it is very pretty, Peony-chan. It's also a very special book. Look inside." The girl did as her mother said and gasped in surprise at the stack of pink cards inside. "Those are magic cards, Peony-chan. Right now, they belong to your Okaa-chan, but someday, they will be yours."

Syaoran, on the other hand, was wary of letting his daughter touch the cards. "Only after you learn how to use them." His memories of trying to use ofudas when he was her age made up a large part of his opinion.

Peony was excited to learn that she would have her mother's book for her very own. She picked the top card of the stack and looked at it. Her gaze moved from the picture of the beautiful woman on the front to the English lettering below. Having started to learn to read, Peony tried to annunciate one of the words. "Wi… Win… Winnndy?"

Unfortunately, Syaoran's gut feeling was right as the sudden gust that arose blew all of the cards out of the Sakura Book, through the walls, and out into the Hong Kong sky. Knowing that she had done something bad by losing all but one of her mother's cards, Peony began to cry.

"Peony-chan, please don't cry." Sakura knelt down and hugged her daughter, letting the girl's tears soak her shoulder. "You didn't know. I can't blame you for that." She then took a gentle hold of Peony's shoulders and let her look in her mother's eyes. "Besides, I can get them back."

Syaoran was thinking that they would have to go card capturing again, in Hong Kong this time, but Sakura had something else in mind. Standing up, she grasped the key around her neck and closed her eyes. Sakura glowed pink as she uttered, "Please return to me, my friends." Her husband and her daughter were both amazed as the cards came back in the same manner as they had gone. Sakura opened her eyes and smiled at the sight of the cards floating around her. "You're all here. Thank you." They filed back into their container, and Peony placed Windy on top before Sakura closed the book. "Would you like to learn how to do that, Peony-chan?" Awed by her mother's ability, Peony nodded vigorously. "I thought so," Sakura giggled at her enthusiasm. "Your lessons begin tomorrow."

~~~~~~

Now, her daughter was almost as skilled as she was. There was one more lesson for Peony to learn, and Sakura knew that her daughter would be able to do anything once she learned it. Sakura could see Peony entering the stadium with both determination and apprehension. The mother understood how her daughter must have been feeling confusion about being forced to fight and fear over a loved one being hurt.

Sakura had went through these feelings many times over while chasing the Clow Cards, reasoning with Madoushi, battling Yue, creating the Sakura Cards, defeating Eriol, and sealing the Void. Still, each time she fought, she did not know her adversary well. This was different; this was her daughter, whom she and her husband had raised for the last twelve years. Sakura wondered how Syaoran found the courage to face of against Peony, considering she looked so much like her mother. Wherever he got it from, she could really use some of it, as the clock display showed 10:55 PM. It was time to begin the setup.

The mistress of the cards turned to the stands and called out, "Cerberus, Yue, come here."

Everyone turned to Kero and Yukito as they immediately turned into their guardian forms. "Sakura, why have you called us?" Cerberus asked as he and Yue descended towards her.

"I want you to merge with the staff," she said with all seriousness.

Her guardians were surprised. After she defeated Eriol, Sakura had never made this request since, because there was no need for it. This made Yue do something he had never done before: question his mistress. "Why must you use our power along with your own against your daughter?"

Sakura held back her tears. "Please, I don't want to order you to do this. I know it doesn't seem right, but it is for the best. Do you trust me?"

Cerberus answered, "Of course, we trust you, Sakura. You are our mistress."  
  
"And it's not that we are not willing," Yue continued, "It's our duty to do as you ask, but we did not anticipate this,"

"I will explain everything once this is over," Sakura responded. The two seemed to accept her promise as they closed their eyes and began to glow pink. Suddenly, there was a blinding flash as the guardians disappeared, and Sakura was now holding her ultimate staff. The bottom rested on the ground, while the ten-pointed star that crowned the staff was a foot above the top of Sakura's head. The wings on either side of the star made the staff even taller and also gave it an impressive wingspan. For those that had never seen this transformation, the effect was astounding.

"She is even stronger than what we were led to believe," one of the elders commented in awe.

Peony gasped at her mother's sudden increase in power and at how the new staff made her look that much more formidable. The girl continued to watch as Sakura took a fan from her silk belt and held it, with her left hand, in front of her face, concealing everything below her half-open green eyes. "Peony-chan, are you ready for your last test?"

The girl stepped towards her mother, who was glowing from the strength of the magic she possessed. "I am ready, Okaa-san."

Sakura nodded before she flicked her left wrist. Peony gasped. Her mother's left hand now held a different fan, a fan of cards. "All I ask of you is to seal what I have in my hand before an hour has passed." Sakura closed her eyes as she let go of the cards. They floated up and spun in front of her as she intoned, "Cards, who I have called for this purpose, fulfill your duty. I, Li Sakura, your Mistress, ask you to do as I command." The star on the staff glowed white as the cards spun at a furious rate. "Release!"

The cards glowed brightly before they shot up high above the arena, where they shined together, like a star. One by one, four lights streaked back down. The first two lights seemed to vanish into the ground, but the last two impacted, throwing up clouds of dust. The fifth light stayed in the air, became dark, and spread its blackness in the shape of a dome over the stadium. Peony could still barely see through the darkness, and she looked to the stands in time to see Touya, Meiling, and Tomoyo seemingly fall unconscious. "What's happening?"

"They're asleep," Sakura answered. "This is caused by the Dark card. Those who do not have magic will be put to sleep, and even those who do may not stay awake for long. They will stay that way until you can seal it."

Some of those still awake began to panic. "The Card Mistress has gone mad!" one flustered elder declared.

"This is not how the last test was to be conducted!" another terrified elder said. Yelan did not make a comment, preferring to trust her daughter-in-law and whatever she had planned.

Bruce felt like a heavy weight had been placed on his shoulders. His eyelids were heavy and he had the urge to lie down, but he resisted as much as he could against the spell. He would do all he could to keep Peony's spirits up, and staying awake would help her cause.

Eriol laid his sleeping wife down on a bench, and Fujitaka did likewise with the others under Sakura's spell. Eriol was glad that Jin didn't seem to be affected, most likely from inherited magic, but he was concerned for Peony. "Capturing one card is troublesome enough. Capturing five cards working in concert is going to be exasperating. This will be very difficult for my cuter little descendant."

Syaoran always knew his wife was strong, but he had forgotten just how strong she could be. The fact that she was the most powerful sorceress in the world was constantly in the back of his mind, but whenever he saw her, the first thing he thought was that he loved this woman, and she loved him, too. Sometimes, Syaoran felt he didn't deserve her. Whenever he would tell her so, Sakura would giggle and respond that she didn't deserve him either. She would end the argument by cuddling and saying she couldn't be any happier. His wife was remarkable, and so was his daughter. Syaoran believed Peony could win, but she will need everything she had ever learned about the cards to do it.

The clouds of dust had dissipated, revealing two of the spirits Peony would have to seal back into their card forms. Thunder lifted its head and roared deafeningly at the concealed sky, while the Shot lifted one of its fingers, gathering energy at the tip. "Peony, look out!" Jin shouted.

His warning came just in time as Peony leapt to the side, dodging the energy blast. She looked up and saw Thunder pounce at her. Peony back-flipped from her squatting position to avoid the massive electric beast. Her skin prickled from the tiny bolts emitted when Thunder landed. Thinking quickly, she activated the Dash card to improve her evasiveness, and she also called the Shadow. [Shadow can take care of Thunder.] (Although in the manga, it was the other way around. Odd…) Peony almost couldn't see the Shadow card as it took its visible form, but she did see it rush toward Thunder to wrap it up in a neat black bundle.

With one card restrained, the girl stared down her other attacker, daring it to come after her. The Shot card obliged by becoming a flying, magenta blur that rapidly fired at the retreating Peony. The girl had everything in control, however, as she pivoted and flashed the Mirror at an incoming blast. The Shot card crumpled to the ground, and Peony ran to seal it. "Return to the form you were meant to be in, Sakura card!" The defeated spirit slipped back into its distinctive pink card.

Peony smiled as she put it with the others and walked up to the confined Thunder card. "Return to the form you meant to be in, Saku-AHHHH!!" The ground between Peony and the card she was about to seal scaled upward, becoming a sheer rock face and blocking Peony from her objective. She tried to go around only to have the ground rise wherever she ran so that she couldn't get to her target. Peony soon realized that the earth had made a dome around the Thunder card. She would have to deal with the Earth card, first, if she hoped to get inside. [This won't be hard. Earth's weakness is Wood.] She went through her set only to find, to her surprise, it wasn't there. Peony double-checked and triple-checked, hoping that she had missed it somehow, but she came up empty each time. [Oh, no. That means…] Green vines broke the ground underneath Peony, and they would have tied her down had she not dashed away in time. "Take this! Firey!" The flaming spirit streaked toward the vines to scorch them. Unfortunately, the card hit a solid rock wall that suddenly rose up instead. Falling to the ground, Firey tried to get up, only to have the wall it hit come down on top of it, flattening the card. "No, Firey!"

Peony ran toward the fallen rock slab to try and free Firey, but she was stopped by the vines. "Out of my way!" she yelled, using the Sword to chop through the obstacle. She reached the slab and called on the Power briefly to lift it off the ground. The girl breathed a sigh of relief as she picked up the Firey in its card form. It didn't look like it was badly hurt, so she put it back with the others. She turned her attention to the frustrating pair of cards she had to seal. [Ok, let's see. Earth and Wood make a devastating combination. Without the Wood, I can't seal Earth, and I tried to use Firey on Wood, but Earth protected it.] The floor shook as what looked like a giant serpent made out of rock burst out of the ground. [There has to be a way to beat them both at the same time.]

Thinking time was at a premium as the earth snake lunged at Peony, who dashed to the side. The chase continued until Peony sprinted right into the clutches of the green vines. They wrapped themselves around the girl's wrists, ankles, and neck. She was completely immobilized. [No, no! I can't fail now!] Peony struggled against her bonds as the vines raised her into the air. The girl felt the plant tightening its hold on her, making her even more desperate. Her eyes were forced shut from the pain she was experiencing. [They're choking me. I'm going to die! Someone, help me please!]

Peony suddenly felt the vines loosening around her, and before she knew it, she was falling. The girl expected to have a sore bottom in the morning, but she didn't land on the ground. Opening her eyes, she realized she had landed in Jin's arms, and Jin was the one with the sore bottom. Ignoring his pain, Jin asked, "Are you okay, Peony-chan?"

The girl rubbed her neck. "Yes. What are you doing here? You're not supposed to help me."

"It wasn't all my idea," Jin responded, "He wanted to do it, too."

Peony turned to see Bruce breathing heavily, holding a sword similar to her father's. [He must have cut me loose.] She got up from Jin's hold to give Bruce a hug in gratitude. "Thank you."

"Shouldn't you thank Jin as well? He did catch you, after all." Peony agreed and gave Jin a hug, giving his cheeks a rosy color.

"This test is invalid!" one of the elders declared. "Outside interference is not allowed!"

"Excuse me," Sakura interrupted. "I am the one giving this test, so I make the rules!" she reminded the Elders. "Now, it is true that there should be no interference, but if you remember, I asked Yue and Cerberus to assist me. I think it is only fair to let Peony-chan also have two helpers," she finished while smiling at her daughter. "And we already have volunteers. So, I see no violation." Sakura pointed her staff at the trio. "Continue, and remember to watch the clock, Peony-chan."

The girl had forgotten about the time limit, and when she looked up at the clock, it read 11:50 PM. [Only ten minutes left! And I still have four cards to seal.]

"We'll deal with the distractions," Bruce told her.

Jin turned his father's key, which he had been given before he rushed out to help, into the sun staff. "I believe in you. You are strong, Peony-chan. I know you are!"

[Is Jin the one that's been in my dreams? Maybe… but first I have to seal those cards, and Jin-kun believes in me!] With newfound confidence, Peony gripped her staff and began to think. Bruce sliced any plants that got too close, and Jin blasted away at the earth snake. The girl used Fly to get a different point of view. [Which card can defeat both Earth and Wood?] Peony searched through the cards she had until she stopped at one in particular. Her eyes widened. [This might work!] Wasting no time, she shouted the card's name, "Sand!"

What was once solid ground became a whirlpool of sand. The boys hurriedly jumped onto the wall that separated the stands from the arena floor, as did Sakura. They watched as the Earth card thrashed about, trying to find something to serve as a foundation. The Wood helplessly got sucked into the vortex as did Thunder, still in its shadow ball prison. Eventually, the gigantic rock serpent was sucked down as well. "Return to the forms you were meant to be in, Sakura cards!" The whirlpool ceased, reverting to the arena floor as Peony caught the five cards that flew into her hands.

"Yes, she did it!" Bruce exulted.

Jin was a little more reserved. "Way to go, Peony-chan!" On second thought, he wasn't reserved at all. Their celebration was cut short as Peony's wings suddenly disappeared. Jin caught Peony and fell on his butt for the second time that night. "What's wrong?"

"I've used more cards than I ever have before in such a short time. Give me a minute."

"You don't have a minute," Bruce sharply replied, "Look at the time." She did and saw it was 11:57 PM. "You have to seal the last card now!"

All of the action had taken a lot out of the girl. She needed the boys for support to even stand up. Peony had the Light card in her hand, but her staff felt too heavy to lift anymore. "All I need to do is call Light, and it will be over."

"No, you can't," Jin objected. "You can't even stand without our help. How can you expect to summon Light by yourself?"

Peony stubbornly replied, "I have to try."

Jin sighed. "Bruce, help me lift her arms. We need to give her all our power to have a chance." Her muscles burned in protest, but Peony ignored it as best she could. She needed to finish her test. She could rest as much as she wanted afterward.

Unknown to Jin, Bruce was almost ready to collapse as well. Trying to stay awake and protecting Peony had drained him. He didn't know how much help he would be now, but he would do all he could for his second cousin. "Alright then." Her arms were up, and the staff was raised. "Do it, Peony!"

With what little strength she had left in her body, Peony yelled out, "Light!" The card glowed brightly and began to dissipate the darkness around them, but the darkness wasn't completely lifted. Light and Dark were pushing against each other in a stalemate. Bruce let go of Peony's arm, and fell forward. "No, Bruce-kun!" At this point, he had succumbed to the spell and to his fatigue.

"He will stay asleep, just like the others, until you seal Dark," Sakura told her.

Peony looked upward at the two opposing forces, neither gaining any ground. "Light should be able to defeat Dark. We just don't have any more power to give."

Jin moved behind Peony to raise both of her arms. He moved his head over her shoulder so when they shared a sidelong glance, they saw each other's eyes. "Don't give up hope, Peony!"

"Hope… hope! That's it, Jin-kun!" Peony brought out the Hope card. "All we need is a little Hope!" The card bathed Peony in a rejuvenating glow, which helped her power the Light card to victory over the darkness.

She was about to seal Dark when everything became white in Peony's vision, and she didn't feel Jin behind her anymore. In fact, she could see nothing but white all around her. "Where am I? Where is everyone?"

She turned around and saw a beautiful woman in a flowing mauve dress. The woman had incredibly pale skin, violet hair that reached down to her back, unusual purple eyes, and a tiara with a yellow star on her head. In her hands was a pink-frosted cake with a single lighted candle in the middle. Peony didn't understand the extraordinary sight in front of her, but the woman simply smiled and said, "Happy birthday, Peony-chan."

Suddenly, it dawned on the girl. "You're the one who has been in my dreams!"

"Yes, I am the one."

"Now, could you tell me who you are, please?"

The woman laughed softly. "Shouldn't it be obvious, little mistress? What have I told you in almost every dream you've had?"

Peony thought for a second before she said, "Your wish shall be granted, and everything will surely be alright."

"Correct. I am wearing a star, and I am holding a birthday cake. So, I must be…"

"The Wish card?! But there is no Wish card!"

"You are right. There is no Sakura card called Wish. I was created by you, Peony-chan, on your fifth birthday, so I am the first Peony card. You wished with all your might for something dear to you, and I was the result. I existed in your heart, waiting for the moment when I could be released. That moment is today, exactly seven years later. That's how long it has taken for me to be able to fulfill your wish."

Peony gasped, "You mean…"

The Wish held the cake in front of Peony. "Now blow out the candle… for your next wish to come true in seven years." The girl closed her eyes, made her wish, and blew out the candle. When she opened her eyes, she was back in the stadium, and Jin was still holding her arms. Peony had one last thing to do. Raising her staff, she said, "Return to the form you were meant to be in, Sakura card!" The star-filled night sky was visible once again, as Jin let go of her, and she caught the Light and Dark cards in her hand. The test was over, but was she in time? The clock read 12:01 AM. Peony's heart sank. "I didn't make it."

Sakura walked over to her daughter and knelt down beside her. She was surprised when Peony cried into her shoulder. "Peony-chan, why are you crying?" she whispered.

"I failed, Okaa-san. I didn't make it."

Sakura rubbed her daughter's back comfortingly. "What if I said that you did make it?" Peony pulled her back and looked at her mother in shock. Sakura smiled, "I said you had an hour to seal the cards, and it was 11:01 when I released them. You made it just in time." Peony hugged her mother fiercely and cried again, with joy this time.

Bruce slowly sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Looking up, he knew that Peony had succeeded, and Jin was as red as ever. He could imagine what happened after he fell asleep and decided not to rag Jin about it. Peony gave him a big hug, upon seeing him awake.

Everyone else who had been asleep woke up, and noting how late it was, everyone decided to get even more sleep, for tomorrow was a big day.

~~~~~~

The next morning, all of the players had assembled once again in the Li clan meeting hall, to settle the controversial happenings of the previous night. The elders argued that it was not conclusive that Peony had sealed the last card before the time was up and that Sakura did not administer the test she said she would. Syaoran accused them of being biased against his daughter and said she had demonstrated she was more than capable for the leadership.

"I am interested in what Peony thinks about this matter," Yelan said. "Even if she is my granddaughter, it is only fair for her to have a say."

The girl stepped forward, under the scrutiny of the elders, her family, and her friends. Taking a deep breath before speaking, she announced to everyone, "I have passed every test I have been given, so I am entitled to succeed to my father, but I won't." Peony expected the surprised looks and gasps. She continued, "My parents didn't have a son, so as their heir, I was expected to be the next leader. The original reason I went through this was to see if I was worthy, which I am. The reason I don't want to fill the role is because that would limit my future. Today, I am twelve years old, and the only friends I have are in this room. If you would allow me, I would like to go to school instead of having a private tutor. That way, I will expand my horizons and see what it is like outside the grounds, more often."

"We will consider that topic at another time. The question now is if you will not succeed your father, who will?" the head elder asked.

"My little brother," Peony answered without hesitation.

All eyes seemed to shift their focus from Peony to Sakura. Syaoran, in particular, was staring at his wife in amazement. "Sakura?!"

"Well… now that she mentions it," Sakura said as she put a hand to her stomach protectively, "I have been feeling a little different, lately."

What happened next could only be described as predictable chaos. Peony quietly slipped out of the building, since she wasn't the focus anymore. She breathed in the warm spring air, and looked up at the bright blue sky. Everything had turned out all right. Bruce and Jin joined her outside, preferring to be with her than the adults. "I'm happy for you, Peony," Bruce said. "But does this mean you went through all that for nothing?"

Peony shook her head. "No, I learned a lot about myself. I can't do everything, and I am not alone as long as I have my friends."

Bruce nodded. "I think Jin has something he wants to tell you," he said, gently elbowing the other boy in the ribs. Jin nodded weakly in response. "I'll let you two have some privacy. See you at the party," he waved as he walked out of sight.

Peony turned to Jin, her bright green eyes looking at him intently. "What did you want to tell me?"

The boy fought the blush that wanted to show itself on his face. He did his best to look her straight in the eye as he said, "What I wanted to say was… I love you."

Peony giggled. "Awww, that 's sweet of you, Jin-kun."

"No, I don't think you understand. I'm not talking about a family kind of love or a friend kind of love. I love you with the kind of love that a boy has for a girl." Peony took a few seconds to digest what Jin just said. "That's all I wanted to say. It's alright if you don't feel the same way, as long as we can still be friends."

"Jin-kun… you love me? You really love me?" He nodded, and she glomped him in reply. "I should have known. All those times you encouraged me and gave me hope, it was because you loved me. I love you, too, Jin-kun!"

~~~~~~

The night after Peony's birthday party, everyone that had come to visit was leaving. Meiling and Bruce were headed back to Beijing, and Fujitaka, Touya, and Yukito were returning to Tomoeda. As the adults said their good-byes, Peony, Bruce, and Jin huddled together. Bruce faced his two friends and placed both his hands on a shoulder of both of them. "I'm glad for you two. Take care of yourselves, and I'll beat you senseless, Jin, if you hurt her in any way."

Jin sweatdropped at the threat, but Peony voiced her displeasure. "Bruce-kun!"

"Just kidding. I'm sure he'll be good to you. Keep in mind though that I will be back to check on how you are treating my second cousin," Bruce said with a look aimed at the boy.

Jin timidly responded, "Peony-chan will be fine."

"She had better be, or else." Bruce gave Jin a couple hard pats in the back before he had to follow his mother, Meiling, to the security checkpoint. He waved farewell to his friends after he passed through and was out of sight.

~~~~~~

Some time passed after the testing of Li Peony was finished. Peony was allowed to go to school, where she made many new friends. Jin was apparently a late bloomer. He soon showed evidence that he had his parents' penchant for slyness. Peony and Jin also started to date, much to the chagrin of Peony's father. He didn't have much time to intimidate his daughter's boyfriend anymore though because of the newest addition to his family…

Syaoran smiled as he held his son and the bottle his son was drinking from. He didn't think he would get the chance to do this again. Li Dai Lang was the splitting image of his father, complete with the amber eyes and the brown hair. It fitted him to have the nickname of 'big wolf'. "I always wanted a son." Syaoran looked to his left, where Sakura was sitting. "Now I have two."

His wife giggled as she fed Li Juung Lang, 'medium wolf', from another bottle. "They're so cute, just like you were."

"Just like I was? You mean I'm not cute now?"

"I meant at your age, Syaoran. But now that you mention it, watching you feeding your baby boy is quite cute."

Syaoran chuckled. "I would say the same of you, except for the fact that you're cute all the time." Both their sons finished their milk, and both parents put a child over a shoulder to burp them. "I never imagined that we would be doing this on our fifteenth wedding anniversary."

"Neither did I. I was so sad when I thought we couldn't have any more children." The twins burped simultaneously, causing their parents to smile. "Now we have three wonderful kids."

"Speaking of kids, where is Peony? She's supposed to baby-sit for us while we go out and celebrate." As he finished speaking, there was a knocking at the door. Syaoran opened it to find Jin. Trying to look as fearsome as he could while holding his baby in one arm, he coldly said, "What are you doing here?"

Jin had his father's enigmatic smile on as he said, "I'm here to take Peony-chan on a date, Li-san."

"You must be mistaken," Syaoran began, "Peony is babysitting tonight."

"Oh no, I forgot!" Syaoran and Jin turned to the top of the staircase, where Peony had her hand over her mouth.

Sakura looked up to her daughter. "Peony-chan, did you and Jin agree on a date for tonight? You did tell us you would take care of Dai and Juung."

"I know. I'm so sorry! I guess we'll have to go out another night, Jin," she said as she descended the stairs.

Jin was about to reply, but they were all surprised when someone behind him spoke. "Never fear, for Eriol and Tomoyo are here!" Jin's parents had arrived from seemingly out of nowhere.

"And why are you here?" Syaoran asked them with one eye twitching.

Eriol chuckled. "Why to give everyone what they want. Jin told us he had a date tonight."

"But today is also yours and Sakura-chan's fifteenth anniversary. We immediately saw a problem." Tomoyo whipped out her camcorder and began taping Sakura with Juung in her arms.

"So we came to give a solution. We watch the kids, and the rest of you have a good time. Simple."

"Sorry, but no," Syaoran answered. "I know you want to help Peony, but she already told both me and Sakura she would watch her brothers. It is her responsibility to follow through on her promises."

"Then I will help her keep that promise," Jin declared. Syaoran turned to deliver another scowl to his daughter's beau. "If it is alright, I will help baby-sit."

"Thank you, Jin-kun," Peony responded with a hug, aggravating her father even more. "You're so kind."

Tomoyo turned her camera lens on the teenaged couple. "So, it all works out. I don't think we're needed here anymore, Eriol."

"How true," he sighed, "Well, a happy fifteenth anniversary to you my cute little descendant and to you Sakura-san."

"Don't stay too late, Jin," his mother cautioned, "And no teasing Kero-chan."

As if summoned by his name, the tiny guardian flew downstairs and used his cute, little arms to poke Jin in the nose. "That's right! What you did the last time you were here was just too cruel for words!"

"Kero, getting tricked into eating cabbage-flavored pudding is hardly what I call cruel," Sakura said. "But still, there had better not be anything along the lines of the…" she shuddered, "'G- G- Ghost… in the refrigerator' incident or the 'Jell-O in the bathtub' incident."

"Don't remind me," Syaoran groaned. "That's why I don't like having him here. He is even worse than his father."

"The apple does not fall far from the tree," Eriol smirked after quoting the saying. "Jin will be on his best behavior. After all, he will be busy coming to Peony's aid."

Sakura took Dai Lang from Syaoran and set both of their sons down in a playpen. "Be good for your big sister, you two. Your father and I will be back soon."

She turned around to find Tomoyo pointing the camera at her. "Did you exchange anniversary presents, yet?"

"We planned on doing that tonight, when we would have a little privacy," Syaoran answered with a barb.

"We could do it now, Syaoran. I'm sure it would make Tomoyo-chan happy." Syaoran looked at his wife in surprise, but she had on the look that could make him die of guilt. With no other choice, he took the steps two at a time to quickly retrieve her present from their room. Sakura took out a rectangular box wrapped in cherry blossom gift-wrap from her purse just before her husband rushed down the stairs with another box in solid green gift-wrap of the same size. They looked at each other's gifts. "Syaoran…"

"The fifteenth is the crystal anniversary. Did you…?" Syaoran didn't finish the question. The gifts were exchanged, and after opening them, both husband and wife held a crystal replica of their younger selves, wearing the outfits from their battle with the Void card. The couple embraced as they whispered "Thank you"s and "You're welcome"s to each other.

With the mushy moment recorded for posterity, Eriol guided Tomoyo out. Sakura and Syaoran left as well, after Peony's father gave one last glower to the boy his daughter loved. Kero flew back upstairs after muttering something about not wanting to be ripped in half by the twins. Peony and Jin waved goodbye to their respective parents and sat close to each other while they watched Dai and Juung. The boys raised their arms, signaling that they wanted to be picked up.

"Which one is which again?" Jin asked as he lifted one of them out.

"Somehow my parents can tell the difference. All I know is that both my brothers don't like you at all. If I had known little brothers were like this, I might have reconsidered wishing for one." Peony laughed as the boy Jin carried grabbed Jin's nose and gave it a yank.

"Itai! Just like their father. Oh, well. I'm glad there is at least one person in your family who likes me."

"There's two: me and my Okaa-san, so you don't need to worry. We can be together forever, if we want to." Peony smiled as her brother pulled on Jin's ear. The girl hoped that one day she and Jin would have the kind of relationship her parents enjoyed. [Only six more years…]

END

The series is complete after 18 months, 11 chapters, and 60 pages. For those that have stuck with me all the way through, a very big thank you from this humble author. There's still plenty of other writing I want to do, so I'm leaving any possibility of a sequel available for anyone who would like to do it. The only thing I ask for is to drop me a line if you do. Until the next fic… all comments and criticisms are welcome and appreciated.


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